AMERICAN  •  BOOK  •  COMPANY 
W  YORK-  CINCINNATI  •  CHICAGO 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/mcguffeysthird1896ecmcgu 


\-^yJC^J^r<^ 


«-7   :  \s\a      k 

UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


407290 


/  Ccru 


.    ,  tr<2€scA 


ECLECTIC  EDUCATIONAL   SERIES. 


MCGUFFEY'S 


THIRD 


ECLECTIC  READER. 


REVISED   EDITION. 


NEW  YORK     •:•     CINCINNATI     •:•     CHICAGO 
AMERICAN    BOOK    COMPANY 


4> 


The  long-continued  popularity  of  McGuffey's  Readers  is  suf- 
ficient evidence  of  the  positive  merits  of  the  books.  The  aim  of 
this  revision  has  been  to  preserve  unimpaired  the  distinctive  feat- 
ures of  the  series,  and  at  the  same  time  to  present  the  matter  in 
a  new  dress,  with  new  type,  new  illustrations,  and  with  a  consider- 
able amount  of  new  matter. 

Spelling  exercises  are  continued  through  the  first  half  of  the 
Third  Reader.  These  exercises,  with  those  furnished  in  the  two 
lower  books,  are  exhaustive  of  the  words  employed  in  the  read- 
ing lessons.    Words  are  not  repeated  in  the  vocabularies. 

In  the  latter  half  of  the  book,  definitions  are  introduced.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  teacher  will  extend  this  defining  exercise  to  all  the 
words  of  the  lesson  liable  to  be  misunderstood.  The  child  should 
define  the  word  in  his  own  language  sufficiently  to  show  that  he  has 
a  mastery  of  the  word  in  its  use. 

Drills  in  articulation  and  emphasis  should  be  given  with  every 
lesson.  The  essentials  of  good  reading  are  not  to  be  taught  by  one 
or  two  lessons.  Constant  drill  on  good  exercises,  with  frequent 
exhibitions  of  the  correct  method  from  the  teacher,  will  be  found 
more  effectual  than  any  form  prescribed  in  type. 

If  the  pupils  are  not  familiar  with  the  diacritical  marks,  they 
should  be  carefully  taught;  such  instruction  constitutes  an  excel- 
lent drill  on  articulation,  and  enables  the  pupils  to  use  the  dic- 
tionary with  intelligence. 


Copyright,  1879,  by  Van  Antwerp,  Bragg  &  Ca 
Copyright,  1896,  by  American  Book  Company. 

(  it )  tCO.  80  EC.  REV 

I-P286 


Introductory  Matter  Page. 

Articulation 5 

Emphasis 10 

Punctuation 11 

Selections  in  Prose  and  Poetry. 

Lesson 

1.  The  Shepherd  Boy 13 

2.  Johnny's  First  Snowstorm 15 

3.  Let  it  Rain 18 

4.  Castle-building 20 

5.  Castle-building 22 

6.  Lend  a  Hand  (Script) 25 

7.  The  Truant 27 

8.  The  White  Kitten 29 

9.  The  Beaver 31 

10.  The  Young  Teacher 34 

11.  The  Blacksmith 38 

12.  A  Walk  in  the  Garden ■     .        .  39 

13.  The  Wolf 42 

14.  The  Little  Bird's  Song 44 

15.  Harry  and  Annie 46 

16.  Bird  Friends 48 

17.  What  the  Minutes  say 51 

18.  The  Widow  and  the  Merchant .  52 

19.  The  Birds  Set  Free 54 

20.  A  Moment  too  Late 56 

21.  Humming  Birds 57 

22.  The  Wind  and  the  Sun 59 

23.  Sunset  (Script) 61 

24.  Beautiful  Hands 62 

25.  Things  to  Remember 65 

26.  Three  Little  Mice 67 

27.  The  New  Year 69 

28.  The  Clock  and  the  Sundial 72 

29.  Remember 74 

(iii) 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


Lesson 

30.  Courage  and  Cowardice 

31.  Weighing  an  Elephant 

32.  The  Soldier  . 

33.  The  Echo      . 
31.  George's  Feast 

/  The  Lord's  Prayer   . 

I  An  Evening  Prayer  (Script) 

36.  Finding  the  Owner    . 

37.  Bats 

38.  A  Summer  Day   . 

39.  I  will  Think  of  It 

40.  Charlie  and  Rob 

41.  Bay  and  his  Kite 

42.  Beware  of  the  First  Drink 

43.  Speak  Gently 

44.  The  Seven  Sticks 

45.  The  Mountain  Sister 

46.  Harry  and  the  Guidepost 

47.  The  Money  Amy  didn't  Earn 

48.  Who  Made  the  Stars? 

49.  Deeds  of  Kindness 

50.  The  Alarm  Clock 

51.  Spring    . 

52.  True  Courage 

53.  The  Old  Clock      . 

54.  The  Waves   . 

55.  Don't  Kill  the  Birds 

56.  When  to  Say  No 

57.  Which  Loved  Best? 

58.  John  Carpenter  . 

59.  Persevere 

60.  The  Contented  Boy 

61.  Little  Gustava 

62.  The  Insolent  Boy 

63.  We  are  Seven 

64.  Mary's  Dime 

65.  Mary  Dow     . 

66.  The  Little  Loal    . 

67.  Susie  and  Rover 

68.  The  Violet  . 

69.  No  Crown  for  Me 

70.  Young  Soldiers    . 

71.  How  Willie  Got  out  of  the  Shaft 

72.  The  Pert  Chicken 

73.  Indian  Corn 

74.  The  Snowbird's  Song 

75.  Mountains    . 

76.  A  Child's  Hymn 

77.  Holding  the  Fort 

78.  The  Little  People 

79.  Good  Night  . 


INTRODUCTION. 


ARTICULATION. 

A  distinct  articulation  can  only  be  gained  by  con- 
stant and  careful  practice  of  the  elementary  sounds. 

Whenever  a  word  is  imperfectly  enunciated,  the 
teacher  should  call  attention  to  the  sounds  composing 
the  spoken  word. 

If  the  pupil  fails  to  sound  any  element  correctly, 
as. in  the  case  of  lisping,  the  fault  can  be  overcome 
by  calling  attention  to  the  correct  position  of  the 
organs  of  speech,  and  insisting  upon  exact  execution. 
Except  in  case  of  malformation  of  these  organs,  every 
pupil  should  sound  each  element  correctly  before  such 
drill  should  cease. 

TABLE  OF  VOCALS. 


LONG  SOUNDS. 

a, 

as  in 

ate. 

e,  as  in 

err. 

a, 

a 

-eare. 

i,       " 

ice. 

a, 

u 

arm. 

6,      " 

ode. 

a, 

u 

last. 

u,      « 

time. 

a. 

a 

all. 

u,      " 

burn. 

e, 

i. 

eve. 

00,      " 

fool. 

(5) 

ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


SHORT  SOUNDS. 


a,  as  in  am. 


elm. 
in. 


6,  as  in  odd. 
u,      "      up. 
'      look. 


00 


DIPHTHONGS. 

oi,  as  in  oil.  |         ou,  as  in  out. 

TABLE  OP  SUBVOCALS. 


b,  as  in 

bib. 

v,  as  in 

valve. 

d,       " 

did. 

th,     " 

this. 

g,       " 

gig- 

z,       " 

zinc. 

j>        " 

j% 

z,       " 

azure 

n,      « 

nine. 

r,      " 

rare. 

m,     " 

maim 

w,      " 

we. 

ng,    " 

hang. 

y>    " 

yet. 

i, 

as  i 

n 

lull. 

TABLE  OF  ASPIRATES. 


f,  as  in 

fife. 

t,  as  in 

tart. 

h,      » 

him. 

sh,    " 

she. 

k,      « 

«ake. 

ch,    " 

chat. 

P>      " 

pipe. 

th,     " 

thick. 

a          " 

aamo 

wh      " 

ivn-Tr 

THIRD  READER. 


Note. — The  above  forty-five  sounds  are  those  most  employed  in 
the  English  language.  Some  of  these  sounds  are  represented  by 
other  letters,  as  shown  in  the  following  table. 


TABLE  OP   SUBSTITUTES. 


a,  for  6,  as  in  what, 
there, 
feint, 
police, 
sir. 
son. 
to. 
wolf, 
fork, 
work, 
full, 
rude. 

fly. 


e, 
e, 
i, 
i, 
o, 
9, 
9, 

A 

o, 
6, 
u, 


a, 
a, 
e, 

e, 
u, 
od, 
ob, 

<\, 

A 

u, 

ob, 
oo, 
i. 


y,  for  i,  as  in  myth, 
■eh, 


n, 

s, 

ph, 


k, 

u 

ean. 

s, 

u 

cite. 

sh, 

" 

ghaige 

k, 

» 

«haos. 

j> 

u 

gem. 

ng, 

a 

ink. 

z, 

a 

a§. 

sh, 

u 

sure. 

gz, 

a 

exa-et. 

f, 

u 

laugh. 

% 

a 

phlox. 

k, 

a 

pique. 

qu,  for  kw,  as  in  quit. 


EXERCISES   IN  ARTICULATION. 

The  following  exercises  may  be  used  for  drill  after 
the  tables  are  fully  understood.  Pronounce  the  word 
first ;   then,  the  sound  indicated. 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


EXERCISE  L 

8b  —  ate, 

fate. 

e — me, 

she. 

a — at, 

hat. 

e — met, 

well. 

a — care, 

snare. 

e — her, 

jerk. 

a  —  arm, 

barn. 

i  —  Ice, 

kite. 

a — ask, 

past. 

i  — in, 

bit. 

a — all, 

quart. 

I  — sir, 

firm. 

EXERC 

ISE  IL 

o— go, 

ode. 

A                        A 

o — nor, 

morn. 

6 — hot, 

plot. 

u — use, 

tune. 

o — do, 

move. 

u — us, 

tub. 

6 — son, 

done. 

u — put, 

pull 

o  —  wolf, 

woman. 

u — burn, 

urge 

oo  — fool,    moon. 
o6  — good,  foot. 
oi  — oil,      boil, 
oy— toy,    joy. 
ou  —  out,     loud, 
ow — now,    owl. 


EXERCISE  III. 

b  — babe,  Bible 

d  — did,  dandy, 

f  —if,  fife, 

g  —gag,  gig. 

h  — hit,  how. 

j   —jay,  large. 


THIRD   READER. 


EXERCISE    IV. 


k  - 

—  kite, 

-ean. 

S    - 

—sauce. 

nge. 

1   - 

—  lad, 

pill. 

t    - 

-tat, 

total. 

m- 

—  ma'am 

,  mum. 

V  - 

—  van, 

love. 

n  - 

-in, 

nine. 

w- 

—win, 

wide. 

P  - 

—  apple, 

pipe. 

y- 

-yes, 

you. 

r  - 

—rare, 

roar. 

EXERC 

z  - 

ISE  V. 

—  size, 

wi§e. 

Bl 

— blade, 

bled. 

Dw 

—  dwell, 

dwarf. 

Br 

— brad, 

bride. 

Fl  - 

—  flat, 

flee. 

Bs 

— rob§, 

fib§. 

Fr  ■ 

— frame, 

fry. 

Ch 

—  chat, 

rich. 

Fs  - 

—  muffs, 

laughs 

Di 

—  ladle, 

saddle. 

Gl  - 

—glad, 

glide. 

Dr 

—  drab, 

drone. 

Gr - 

—  great, 

grow. 

Ds 

—  rid§, . 

bud§. 

EXERC 

Kn 

ISE    VI. 

— knee, 

know. 

PI  — plate,  plot. 

Pr  — pray,  prone. 

Sh  — shall,  ghai§e. 

SI   — slap,  slow. 

Sm  —  smart,  smite. 

Sn  — snare,  snow. 

Sp  — spin,  spoil. 


Sq    — squat,  squirm. 

St    — stand,  stone. 

Sw  — swarm,  swim. 

Th  —thick,  thin. 

Th  — thine,  with. 

Tw  — twige,  twenty. 

Wh  —  when,  which. 


10  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


EMPHASIS. 

Note. — If  the  pupil  has  received  proper  oral  instruction,  he 
has  been  taught  to  understand  what  he  has  read,  and  has  already 
acquired  the  habit  of  emphasizing  words.  He  is  now  prepared  for 
a  more  formal  introduction  to  the  subject  of  emphasis,  and  for 
more  particular  attention  to  its  first  principles.  This  lesson,  and 
the  examples  given,  should  be  repeatedly  practiced. 

In  reading  and  in  talking,  we  always  speak  some 
words  with  more  force  than  others.  We  do  this,  be- 
cause the  meaning  of  what  we  say  depends  most  upon 
these  words. 

If  I  wish  to  know  whether  it  is  George  or  his 
brother  who  is  sick,  I  speak  the  words  George  and 
brother  with  more  force  than  the  other  words.  I  say, 
Is  it   George  or  his  brother  who  is  sick? 

This  greater  force  with  which  we  speak  the  words 
is  called   emphasis. 

The  words  upon  which  emphasis  is  put,  are  some- 
times printed  in  slanting  letters,  called  Italics*  and 
sometimes   in    capitals. 

The  words  printed  in  Italics  in  the  following  ques- 
tions and  answers,  should  be  read  with  more  force 
than  the  other  words,  that  is,  with  emphasis. 

Did  you  ride  to  town  yesterday  ?  No,  my  brother 
did. 

Did    you    ride    to    town    yesterday?    No,    I   walked. 


^Italics  are  also  used  for  other  purposes,  though  most  frequently 
for  emphasis. 


THIRD   BEADEB.  11 

Did  you  ride  to  town  yesterday?  No,  I  went  into 
the  country. 

Did  you  ride  to  town  yesterday?  No,  I  went  the 
day  before. 

Have  you  seen  James  or  John  lately?  I  have  seen 
James,  but  not  John. 

Did  you  say  there  were  four  eggs  in  the  nest,  or 
three?     There  were  only  three  eggs,  not  four. 

Were  the  eggs  white  or  blue?  The  eggs  were  white, 
not  blue. 

Had  the  boy  a  hat  on  his  head,  or  a  capf  He 
had  a  cap  on,  not  a  hat. 


PUNCTUATION. 

^^*  Punctuation  should  be  thoroughly  studied  by  the  pupil,  in 
order  that  he  may  become  perfectly  familiar  with  the  marks  and 
pauses  found  in  the  reading  lessons  of  this  volume. 

MARKS    AND    PAUSES. 

These  marks  are  used  to  point  off  written  or  printed 
matter  into  sentences  and  parts  of  sentences,  and  thus 
to  assist  the  reader  in  obtaining  the  meaning  of  the 
writer.  They  seldom  indicate  the  length  of  the  pause 
to  be  made;  this  must  be  determined  by  the  sense. 

A  Hyphen  (-)  is  used  between  syllables  in  a  word 
divided  at  the  end  of  a  line;  as,  "  be-cause,"  "ques-tion," 
page  10,  and  between  the  parts  of  a  compound  word;  as, 
Rocking-chair,  good-by. 


12  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

The  Comma  (,),  Semicolon  (;),  and  Colon  (:)  mark 
grammatical  divisions  in  a  sentence;  as, 

God  is  good;  for  he  ^ives  us  all  things. 
Be  wise  to-day,  my  child:  'tis  madness  to  defer. 

A  Period  (.)  is  placed  at  the  end  of  a  sentence;  as 
God  is  love.    Life  is  short. 

Or  is  used  after  an  abbreviation;  as, 

Dr.  Murphy.     Jan.  10,  1879. 

An  Interrogation  Point  (?)  denotes  a  question;  as, 

Has  he  come?    Who  are  you? 

An  Exclamation  Point  (!)  denotes  strong  feeling;  as, 

0  Absalom  I  my  son !  my  son ! 

The  Dash  ( — )  is  used  where  there  is  a  sudden  break 
or  pause  in  a  sentence;  as, 

The  truth  has  power — such  is  God's  will — to  make  us  better. 

Quotation  Marks  ( "  " )  denote  the  words  of  another 

as, 

God  said,  "  Let  there  be  light." 

An  Apostrophe  ( ' )  denotes  that  a  letter  or  letters  art 

left  out;  as, 

O'er,  for  over;  'tis,  for  it  Is. 

And  is  also  used  to  show  ownership;  as, 

The  man's  hat.     Helen's  book. 


MCGUFFEY'S 

THIRD  READER. 


LESSON    I. 


ei'ther         trie'kle         fancied  mur'mur  re  fleet'ed 

gloss'y         en'tered         shep'herd        chest'nuts        eom  mand' 


THE    SHEPHERD    BOY. 

1.  Little  Roy  led  his  sheep  down  to  pasture, 
And  his  cows,  by  the  side  of  the  brook ; 

(13) 


14  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

But  his  cows  never  drank  any  water, 
And  his  sheep  never  needed  a  crook. 

2.  For  the  pasture  was  gay  as  a  garden, 

And  it  glowed  with  a  flowery  red ; 
But  the  meadows  had  never  a  grass  blade, 
And  the  brooklet — it  slept  in  its  bed: 

3.  And   it  lay  without  sparkle  or  murmur, 

Nor  reflected  the  blue   of  the  skies ; 
But  the  music  was  made  by  the  shepherd, 
And  the  sparkle  was  all  in  his  eyes. 

4.  Oh,  he  sang   like  a  bird  in  the  summer ! 

And,  if  sometimes  you  fancied  a  bleat, 
That,  too,  was  the  voice  of  the  shepherd, 
And  not  of  the   lambs  at  his  feet. 

5.  And  the   glossy  brown  cows  were  so  gentle 

That  they  moved  at  the  touch  of  his  hand 
O'er  the  wonderful,  rosy-red  meadow, 

And  they  stood  at  the  word  of  command. 

6.  So  he  led  all  his  sheep  to  the  pasture, 

And  his  cows,  by  the  side  of  the  brook; 
Though  it  rained,  yet  the  rain  never  pattered 
O'er  the   beautiful  way  that  they  took. 

7.  And  it  was  n't   in   Fairyland  either, 

But  a   house  in  the  midst  of  the   town, 
Where   Roy,  as  he  looked    from  the  window, 
Saw  the  silvery  drops  trickle  down. 


THIRD  READER.  15 

8.  For  his  pasture  was  only  a  table, 

With   its  cover  so  flowery  fair, 
And  his  brooklet  was  just  a  green  ribbon, 
That  his  sister  had  lost  from  her  hair. 

9.  And  his  cows  were  but  glossy  horse-chestnuts, 

That  had  grown  on  his  grandfather's  tree; 
And  his  sheep  only  snowy-white  pebbles, 
He  had  brought  from  the   shore   of  the  sea. 

10.  And  at  length  when  the  shepherd  was  weary, 

And  had  taken   his  milk  and  his  bread, 
And  his  mother  had  kissed  him  and  tucked  him, 
And  had  bid  him  "  good  night "  in  his  bed ; 

11.  Then  there  entered  his  big  brother  Walter, 

While  the  shepherd  was  soundly  asleep, 
And  he  cut  up  the  cows  into  baskets, 

And  to  jackstones  turned  all  of  the  sheep. 

Emily  S.  Oakey. 

LESSON    II. 

coun'try  groveg  logging  sug'ar  freez'eg 

johnny's  first  snowstorm. 

1.  Johnny  Reed  was  a  little  boy  who  never 
had  seen  a  snowstorm  till  he  was  six  years  old. 
Before  this,  he  had  lived  in  a  warm  country, 
where    the    sun    shines    down    on     beautiful 


16 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


orange    groves,  and    fields    always    sweet    with 
flowers. 

2.  But  now  he  had  come  to  visit  his  grand- 
mother, who  lived  where  the  snow  falls  in 
winter.  Johnny  was  standing  at  the  window 
when  the  snow  came  down. 


3.  "0  mamma!"  he  cried,  joyfully,  "do 
come  quick,  and  see  these  little  white  birds 
flying  down  from  heaven." 

4.  "They  are  not  birds,  Johnny,"  said 
mamma,  smiling. 

5.  "Then  maybe  the  little  angels  are  los- 
ing their  feathers!  Oh!  do  tell  me  what  it 
is;    is    it    sugar?      Let    me    taste    it,"    said 


THIRD    READER.  17 

Johnny.     But  when    he   tasted   it,   he   gave   a 
little  jump — it  was    so   cold. 

6.  "That  is  only  snow,  Johnny,"  said  his 
mother. 

7.  "What   is   snow,   mother?" 

8.  "The  snowflakes,  Johnny,  are  little  drops 
of  water  that  fall  from  the  clouds.  But  the 
air  through  which  they  pass  is  so  cold  it 
freezes  them,  and  they  come  down  turned 
into   snow." 

9.  As  she  said  this,  she  brought  out  an 
old  black  hat  from  the  closet.  "See,  Johnny! 
I  have  caught  a  snowflake  on  this  hat. 
Look  quick  through  this  glass,  and  you  will 
see  how  beautiful  it  is." 

10.  Johnny  looked  through  the  glass.  There 
lay  the  pure,  feathery  snowflake  like  a  lovely, 
little  star. 

11.  "Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star!"  he  cried 
in  delight.  "Oh!  please  show  me  more  snow- 
flakes,  mother." 

12.  So  his  mother  caught  several  more,  and 
they  were  all  beautiful. 

13.  The  next  day  Johnny  had  a  fine  play 
in  the  snow,  and  when  he  came  in,  he  said, 
"  I  love  snow ;  and  I  think  snowballs  are  a 
great   deal    prettier   than   oranges." 

3,   2. 


18  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

LESSON    III. 

daugh'ter  qugnch  wreath§  but'ter  thlrst'y 

LET    IT    RAIN. 

Rose.  See  how  it  rains !  Oh  dear,  dear, 
dear !  how  dull  it  is !  Must  I  stay  in  doors 
all    day  ? 

Father.  Why,  Rose,  are  you  sorry  that  you 
had  any  bread  and  butter  for  breakfast,  this 
morning  ? 

Rose.  Why,  father,  what  a  question !  I 
should  be  sorry,  indeed,  if  I  could  not  get 
any. 

Father.  Are  you  sorry,  my  daughter,  when 
you  see  the  flowers  and  the  trees  growing 
in  the  garden? 

Rose.  Sorry?  No,  indeed.  Just  now,  I 
wished  very  much  to  go  out  and  see  them, 
— they  look  so  pretty. 

Father.  Well,  are  you  sorry  when  you  see 
the  horses,  cows,  or  sheep  drinking  at  the 
brook  to  quench  their  thirst? 

Rose.  Why,  father,  you  must  think  I  am 
a  cruel  girl,  to  wish  that  the  poor  horses 
that   work   so   hard,    the    beautiful    cows    that 


THIRD  READER.  19 

give  so  much  nice  milk,  and  the  pretty 
lambs  should   always   be  thirsty. 

Father.  Do  you  not  think  they  would  die, 
if  they  had   no  water  to  drink? 

Rose.  Yes,  sir,  I  am  sure  they  would. 
How    shocking    to    think    of    such    a    thing! 

Father.  I  thought  little  Rose  was  sorry  it 
rained.  Do  you  think  the  trees  and  flowers 
would  grow,  if  they  never  had  any  water  on 
them  ? 

Rose.  No,  indeed,  father,  they  would  be 
dried  up  by  the  sun.  Then  we  should  not 
have  any  pretty  flowers  to  look  at,  and  to 
make  wreaths   of  for   mother. 

Father.  I  thought  you  were  sorry  it  rained. 
Rose,  what  is  our  bread  made  of? 

Rose.  It  is  made  of  flour,  and  the  flour  is 
made  from  wheat,  which  is  ground  in  the 
mill. 

Father.  Yes,  Rose,  and  it  was  rain  that 
helped  to  make  the  wheat  grow,  and  it  was 
water  that  turned  the  mill  to  grind  the 
wheat.  I  thought  little  Rose  was  sorry  it 
rained. 

Rose.  I  did  not  think  of  all  these  things, 
father.  I  am  truly  very  glad  to  see  the  rain 
falling. 


20 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


an'ger  cas'tle 

dis  may'       so'fa 
mim'ie  nod'ded 


LESSON     IV. 

foun  da'tion  rat'tling  tow'er 

m'ter  est  ed  pas'sion  pile 

ex  eliiimed'  al  read'y  spilled 


CASTLE-BUILDING. 


1.  "0  pussy!"  cried  Herbert,  in  a  voice 
of  anger  and  dismay,  as  the  blockhouse  he 
was  building  fell  in  sudden  ruin.  The  play- 
ful  cat  had   rubbed   against  his  mimic   castle, 


THIRD  READER.  21 

and  tower  and  wall  went  rattling  down  upon 
the  floor. 

2.  Herbert  took  up  one  of  the  blocks  and 
threw  it  fiercely  at  pussy.  Happily,  it  passed 
over  her  and  did  no  harm.  His  hand  was 
reaching  for  another  block,  when  his  little 
sister  Hetty  sprang  toward  the  cat,  and 
caught   her   up. 

3.  "No,  no,  no!"  said  she,  "you  sha'n't 
hurt   pussy!     She   didn't   mean   to    do    it!" 

4.  Herbert's  passion  was  over  quickly,  and, 
sitting  down  upon  the  floor,  he  covered  his 
face  with    his   hands,  and   began   to   cry. 

5.  "What  a  baby!"  said  Joe,  his  elder 
brother,  who  was  reading  on  the  sofa.  "Cry- 
ing over  spilled  milk  does  no  good.  Build 
it   up   again." 

6.  "No,  I  won't,"  said  Herbert,  and  he 
went  on   crying. 

7.  "  What's  all'  the  trouble  here  ? "  ex- 
claimed papa,  as  he  opened  the  door  and 
came   in. 

8.  "  Pussy  just  rubbed  against  Herbert's 
castle,  and  it  fell  down,"  answered  Hetty. 
"  But  she  did  n't  mean  to  do  it ;  she  did  n't 
know  it  would  fall,  did  she,  papa?" 

9.  "Why,  no!     And  is  that  all  the  trouble?" 


22  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

10.  "Herbert!"  his  papa  called,  and  held 
out  his  hands.  "  Come."  The  little  boy  got 
up  from  the  floor,  and  came  slowly,  his  eyes 
full  of  tears,  and  stood  by  his  father. 

11.  "  There  is  a  better  way  than  this,  my 
boy,"  said  papa.  "If  you  had  taken  that 
way,  your  heart  would  have  been  light 
already.  I  should  have  heard  you  singing 
over  your  blocks  instead  of  crying.  Shall  I 
show   you   that  way?" 

12.  Herbert  nodded  his  head,  and  papa 
sat  down  on  the  floor  by  the  pile  of  blocks, 
with  his  little  son  by  his  side,  and  began  to 
lay  the   foundation   for   a   new  castle. 


LESSON    V. 

string 

pa'per 

ea'ger  ly 

dashed 

€£lSc 

erash 

dish'eg 

re  tort'ed 

sen'tence 

tray 

CASTLE-BUILDING 

(CONCLUDED.) 

1.  Soon,  Herbert  was  as  much  interested 
in  castle-building  as  he  had  been  a  little 
while  before.  He  began  to  sing  over  his 
work.     All    his    trouble   was    gone. 


THIRD   READER.  23 

2.  "This  is  a  great  deal  better  than  cry- 
ing,  isn't   it?"   said    papa. 

3.  "Crying  for  what?"  asked  Herbert,  for- 
getting his   grief  of  a  few  minutes   before. 

4.  "  Because  pussy  knocked  your  castle 
over." 

5.  "Oh!"  A  shadow  flitted  across  his  face, 
but  was  gone  in  a  moment,  and  he  went  on 
building  as  eagerly  as  ever. 

6.  "  I  told  him  not  to  cry  over  spilled 
milk,"  said  Joe,  looking  down  from  his  place 
on  the  sofa. 

7.  "  I  wonder  if  you  did  n't  cry  when  your 
kite  string   broke,"  retorted   Herbert. 

8.  "  Losing  a  kite  is  quite  another  thing," 
answered  Joe,  a  little  dashed.  "  The  kite 
was  gone  forever ;  but  your  blocks  were  as 
good  as  before,  and  you  had  only  to  build 
again." 

9.  "I  don't  see,"  said  papa,  "that  crying 
was  of  any  more  use  in  your  case  than  in 
Herbert's.  Sticks  and  paper  are  easily  found, 
and  you  had  only  to  go  to  work  and  make 
another  kite."  Joe  looked  down  at  his  book, 
and  went  on  reading.  By  this  time  the 
castle   was    finished. 

10.  "It  is  ever  so  much  nicer  than  the  one 


24 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


pussy  knocked  down,"  said  Hetty.  And  so 
thought  Herbert,  as  he  looked  at  it  proudly 
from  all  sides. 

11.  "If  pussy 
knocks  that  down, 
I'll—" 

12.  "Build  it 
up  again,"  said 
papa,  finishing  the 
sentence  for  his 
little  boy. 

13.  "But,  papa, 
pussy    must    not 
knock   my   castles    down.      I    can't   have    it," 
spoke  out  Herbert,  knitting  his  forehead. 

14.  "  You  must  watch  her,  then.  Little 
boys,  as  well  as  grown  up  people,  have  to 
be  often  on  their  guard.  If  you  go  into 
the  street,  you  have  to  look  out  for  the 
carriages,  so  as  not  to  be  run  over,  and 
you  have   to   keep    out   of  people's   way. 

15.  "In  the  house,  if  you  go  about  heed- 
lessly, you  will  be  very  apt  to  run  against 
some  one.  I  have  seen  a  careless  child 
dash  suddenly  into  a  room  just  as  a  servant 
was  leaving  it  with  a  tray  of  dishes  in  her 
hands.     A   crash    followed." 


THIRD   READER.  25 

16.  "It   was    I,    wasn't    it?"    said    Hetty. 

17.  "  Yes,  I  believe  it  was,  and  I  hope  it 
will   never  happen  again." 

18.  Papa  now  left  the  room,  saying,  "  I 
do  n't  want  any  more  of  this  crying  over 
spilled  milk,  as  Joe  says.  If  your  castles 
get   knocked   down,   build   them   up   again." 


LESSON    VI. 

tear 

dai'ly 

hon'or             tongueg 

sus  pi'cion 

en'vy 

forged 

prompt          ma  li'cioiis 
LEND   A   HAND. 

to-mor'rov? 

SjuyxxL  (h  hxirruLho-  m\ju  ojy\j6\}w\> 
Si\>  lUrm  dxxilnj  fail  o\  \a\ju-, 

SjlL  uA  hjjjfb  h)jYY\,  \pc\j  Xhjb  hXju\su, 

Sr^  Kib  faj\mj,\rtj  pyvauL  fa-  {roVbo-w,- 
QmxL  XKsu  \ioroX  rwajrib  IxyL  fa*-  ota/ty 


26  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

SjuyxAj  (h  hxxmxL  fay  onx  am/ylhjiA, : 

JO  oaL  AwJ^fiMyucrrh  cm,  "WyvJh  lAxAhjihs, 
To-e,  tu&L  jvx/rmJfiL  fay  oxLhfa  cl  Afayrub. 
uruAib  U>  TU3TU/  h/y  q^y&xL  hvX  Trx/m// 
uxkjy\j  oudhApu  i/n  jJvajrn&  ouruiJ^oVyyur-, 
QmxL  Vnjb  cMyoxL  rnxxxmu  <y\  fay-cLan^ 
YflaAA-  \>uyovrub  thjb  \raxL  fay--rrruy\hjyw, 

3. 
SjuyuL  ou  hxxfY\xLfay  otul,  0JY\/y\jr\Jihj'. 

c§Tb  Xhjb  hjojzsu  yy\  H^yyvcKb  c/uc-wvv, 

SjlL  tixtL  zmA/u  XsuoJ\j  \L  d/yurrh. 
SLumxL  co  hjamAj  fay  alZ,uMs  \\Axm^, 
c9  Yb  ttviAJb  MxnnjJaAJVJb  o%  ihuJh  AoVi/mr; 
QmxL  thjb  \ihAfUL  \hjAjlr\Hj  wtrru  fay-dxx/y^ 
TTla/U'  \hjz/3T)'\sl  ou/b  o-wrb  txy-oruyvuour. 


THIRD   HEADER.  27 

LESSON    VII. 

false'ly         attend'         tru'ant  eSn'duet  there'fore 

guilt'y         haste  reg'u  lar         strug'gled         ig'no  rant 

THE    TRUANT. 

1.  James  Brown  was  ten  years  old  when 
his  parents  sent  him  to  school.  It  was  not 
far  from  his  home,  and  therefore  they  sent 
him   by  himself. 

2.  But,  instead  of  going  to  school,  he  was 
in  the  habit  of  playing  truant.  He  would 
go  into  the  fields,  or  spend  his  time  with 
idle.  boys. 

3.  But  this  was  not  all.  When  he  went 
home,  he  would  falsely  tell  his  mother  that 
he  had  been  to  school,  and  had  said  his  les- 
sons very  well. 

4.  One  fine  morning,  his  mother  told  James 
to  make  haste  home  from  school,  for  she 
wished,  after  he  had  come  back,  to  take  him 
to  his  aunt's. 

5.  But,  instead  of  minding  her,  he  went  off 
to  the  water,  where  there  were  some  boats. 
There   he   met   plenty  of   idle   boys. 

6.  Some    of    these   boys    found    that    James 


28 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


had  money,  which  his  aunt  had  given  him ; 
and  he  was  led  by  them  to  hire  a  boat,  and  to 
go  with  them  upon  the  water. 

7.  Little  did  James  think  of  the  danger 
into  which  he  was  running.  Soon  the  wind 
began  to  blow,  and  none  of  them  knew  how 
to  manage  the  boat. 


8.  For  some  time,  they  struggled  against 
the  wind  and  the  tide.  At  last,  they  became 
so  tired  that  they  could  row  no  longer. 

9.  A  large  wave  upset  the  boat,  and  they 
were  all  thrown  into  the  water.  Think  of 
James   Brown,  the  truant,  at  this  time! 

10.  He  was  far  from  home,  known  by  no 
one.     His  parents  were  ignorant  of  his  danger. 


THIRD  READER.  W 

He  was  struggling  in  the  water,  on  the  point 
of  being  drowned. 

11.  Some  men,  however,  saw  the  boys,  and 
went  out  to  them  in  a  boat.  They  reached 
them  just  in  time  to  save  them  from  a 
watery  grave. 

12.  They  were  taken  into  a  house,  where 
their  clothes  were  dried.  After  a  while,  they 
were  sent  home  to  their  parents. 

13.  James  was  very  sorry  for  his  conduct, 
and  he  was  never  known  to  be  guilty  of  the 
same  thing  again. 

14.  He  became  regular  at  school,  learned 
to  attend  to  his  books,  and,  above  all,  to 
obey  his  parents  perfectly. 


LESSON    VIII. 

stroke  beg'gar  streaks  need'ful  eoun'sel 

THE   WHITE    KITTEN. 

1.  My  little  white  kitten  's  asleep  on  my  knee; 
As  white  as  the  snow  or  the  lilies  is  she ; 
She  wakes  up  with  a  pur 
When  I  stroke  her  soft  fur : 
Was  there  ever  another  white  kitten  like  her? 


30  ECLECTIC  SEMES. 

2.  My  little  white  kitten  now  wants  to  go  out 
And  frolic,  with  no  one  to  watch  her  about; 

"Little  kitten/'  I  say, 

"Just  an  hour  you  may  stay, 
And  be  careful  in  choosing  your  places  to  play." 


III'  Ci<:«#j 

1 

,'.'  "^  f  •*  •"  i 

H 

[      ,jSg 

•^%At»  1  B 

m    BB^P^^ 

31  s 

S| 

KIu 

1  Hsbr  v 

Mr  iBWSjg  ' 

pi 

sir 
t 

fy\l    '        '           '      *  ^ 

'^|   'fcl'l 

hrh 

(Nil 

SiBi 

ii| ' 

3.  But  night  has  come  down,  when  I  hear  a  loud  "  mew;  " 
I  open  the  door,  and  my  kitten  comes  through ; 

My  white  kitten!  ah  me! 
Can  it  really  be  she — 
This  ill-looking,  beggar-like  cat  that  I  see? 

4.  What  ugly,  gray. streaks  on  her  side  and  her  back! 
Her  nose,  once  as  pink  as  a  rosebud,  is  black ! 

Oh,  I  very  well  know, 
Though  she  does  not  say  so, 
She  has  been  where  white  kittens  ought  never  to  go. 


THIRD  READER.  31 

5.  If  little  good  children  intend  to  do  right, 

If  little  white  kittens  would  keep  themselves  white, 
It  is  needful  that  they 
Should  this  counsel  obey, 
And  be  careful  in  choosing  their  places  to  play. 


LESSON   IX. 

pre  fer' 

trap'per 

for'ward         ma  te'ri  al 

dis  turb'ing 

dumb 

chiefly 

gnaw'ing        A  mer'i  ea 

eau'tiotis  ly 

height 

pur'pose 

tight'er           re  mind'ed 

fre'quent  ly 

ob  tain' 

eu'ri  oils 

in  hu'man      in  ehid'ing 
THE    BEAVER. 

eon  striiet'ed 

1.  The  beaver  is  found  chiefly  in  North 
America.  It  is  about  three  and  a  half  feet 
long,  including  the  flat,  paddle-shaped  tail, 
which  is  a  foot  in  length. 

2.  The  long,  shining  hair  on  the  back  is 
chestnut-colored,  while  the  fine,  soft  fur  that 
lies  next  the  skin,  is   grayish   brown. 

3.  Beavers  build  themselves  most  curious 
huts  to  live  in,  and  quite  frequently  a  great 
number  of  these  huts  are  placed  close  to- 
gether, like  the  buildings  in  a  town. 

4.  They  always  build  their  huts  on  the 
banks  of  rivers  or  lakes,  for  they  swim  much 


32  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

more  easily  than   they  walk,  and   prefer  mov- 
ing about   in   the  water. 

5.  When  they  build  on  the  bank  of  a  run- 
ning stream,  they  make  a  dam  across  the 
stream  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  water 
at  the   height   they  wish. 

6.  These  dams  are  made  chiefly  of  mud, 
and  stones,  and  the  branches  of  trees.  They 
are  sometimes  six  or  seven  hundred  feet  in 
length,  and  are  so  constructed  that  they  look 
more  like  the  work  of  man  than  of  little 
dumb   beasts. 

7.  Their  huts  are  made  of  the  same  mate- 
rial as  the  dams,  and  are  round  in  shape. 
The  walls  are  very  thick,  and  the  roofs  are 
finished  off  with  a  thick  layer  of  mud,  sticks, 
and  leaves. 

8.  They  commence  building  their  houses 
late  in  the  summer,  but  do  not  get  them 
finished  before  the  early  frosts.  The  freezing 
makes   them   tighter   and   stronger. 

9.  They  obtain  the  wood  for  their  dams 
and  huts  by  gnawing  through  the  branches 
of  trees,  and  even  through  the  trunks  of 
small  ones,  with  their  sharp  front  teeth. 
They  peel  off  the  bark,  and  lay  it  up  in 
store   for  winter  food. 


THIRD  READER.  33 

10.  The  fur  of  the  beaver  is  highly  prized. 
The  men  who  hunt  these  animals  are  called 
trappers. 

11.  A  gentleman  once  saw  five  young  bea- 
vers playing.  They  would  leap  on  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  that  lay  near  a  beaver  dam,  and 
would  push  one  another  off  into  the  water. 


12.  He  crept  forward  very  cautiously,  and 
was  about  to  fire  on  the  little  creatures ;  but 
their  amusing  tricks  reminded  him  so  much 
of  some  little  children  he  knew  at  home, 
that  he  thought  it  would  be  inhuman  to  kill 
them.  So  he  left  them  without  even  disturb- 
ing their  play. 

3,  3. 


34  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON 

X. 

sl^n 

marks 

par'celg 

ven'ture 

in  quire' 

chalk 

rul'ing 

draw'ing 

pie'tures. 

eon  fu§ec 

THE   YOUNG   TEACHER. 

1.  Charles  Rose  lived  in  the  country  with 
his  father,  who  taught  him  to  read  and  to 
write. 

2.  Mr.  Rose  told  his  son  that,  when  his 
morning  lessons  were  over,  he  might  amuse 
himself  for  one   hour  as  he    pleased. 

3.  There  was  a  river  near  by.  On  its 
bank  stood  the  hut  of  a  poor  fisherman,  who 
lived  by  selling  fish. 

4.  His  careful  wife  kept  her  wheel  going 
early  and  late.  They  both  worked  very  hard 
to  keep   themselves   above  want. 

5.  But  they  were  greatly  troubled  lest 
their  only  son  should  never  learn  to  read 
and  to  write.  They  could  not  teach  him 
themselves,  and  they  were  too  poor  to  send 
him    to    school. 

6.  Charles  called  at  the  hut  of  this  fish- 
erman one  day,  to  inquire  about  his  dog, 
which  was   missing. 


THIRD  READER. 


35 


7.  He  found  the  little  boy,  whose  name 
was  Joe,  sitting  by  the  table,  on  which  he 
was    making    marks    with    a    piece    of   chalk. 


Charles   asked   him  whether   he  was   drawing 
pictures. 

8.  "No,  I  am  trying  to  write,"  said  little 
Joe,  "but  I  know  only  two  words.  Those  I 
saw  upon  a  sign,  and  I  am  trying  to  write 
them." 

9.  "If  I  could  only  learn  to  read  and 
write,"  said  he,  "I  should  be  the  happiest 
boy  in  the  world." 


36  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

10.  "  Then  I  will  make  you  happy,"  said 
Charles.  "  I  am  only  a  little  boy,  but  I  can 
teach  you  that. 

11.  "  My  father  gives  me  an  hour  every 
day  for  myself.  Now,  if  you  will  try  to  learn, 
you  shall  soon  know  how  to  read  and  to 
write." 

12.  Both  Joe  and  his  mother  were  ready  to 
fall  on  their  knees  to  thank  Charles.  They 
told  him  it  was  what  they  wished  above  all 
things. 

13.  So,  on  the  next  day  when  the  hour 
came,  Charles  put  his  book  in  his  pocket, 
and  went  to  teach  Joe.  Joe  learned  very 
fast,  and  Charles  soon  began  to  teach  him 
how   to   write. 

14.  Some  time  after,  a  gentleman  called  on 
Mr.  Rose,  and  asked  him  if  he  knew  where 
Charles  was.  Mr.  Rose  said  that  he  was 
taking  a  walk,  he  supposed. 

15.  "  I  am  afraid,"  said  the  gentleman, 
"  that  he  does  not  always  amuse  himself 
thus.  I  often  see  him  go  to  the  house  of 
the  fisherman.  I  fear  he  goes  out  in  their 
boat." 

1.6.  Mr.  Rose  was  much  troubled.  He  had 
told    Charles    that    he    must    never    venture 


THIRD   READER.  87 

on  the  river,   and   he  thought   he  could  trust 
him. 

17.  The  moment  the  gentleman  left,  Mr. 
Rose  went  in  search  of  his  son.  He  went  to 
the  river,  and  walked  up  and  down,  in  hope 
of  seeing  the   boat. 

18.  Not  seeing  it,  he  grew  uneasy.  He 
thought  Charles  must  have  gone  a  long  way 
off.  Unwilling  to  leave  without  learning  some- 
thing of  him,   he  went  to   the   hut. 

19.  He  put  his  head  in  at  the  window, 
which  was  open. '  There  a  pleasant  sight 
met    his    eyes. 

20.  Charles  was  at  the  table,  ruling  a  copy- 
book. Joe  was  reading  to  him,  while  his 
mother   was   spinning   in   the   corner. 

21.  Charles  was  a  little  confused.  He 
feared  his  father  might  not  be  pleased ;  but 
he  had  no  need  to  be  uneasy,  for  his  father 
was   delighted. 

22.  The  next  day,  his  father  took  him  to 
town,  and  gave  him  books  "for  himself  and 
Joe,  with  writing  paper,   pens,  and  ink. 

23.  Charles  was  the  happiest  boy  in  the 
world  when  he  came  home.  He  ran  to  Joe, 
his  hands  filled  with  parcels,  and  his  heart 
beating  with  joy. 


38 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    XI. 


i'ron  (Turn) 
eye'  lidg 
forge 
in  tense' 


elin'ker  ty 

shrink 

la'bor 

ham'mer 


THE    BLACKSMITH. 

1.  Clink,  clink,  clinkerty  clink ! 

We  begin  to  hammer  at  morning's  blink, 

And  hammer  away 

Till  the  busy  clay, 
Like  us,  aweary,  to  rest  shall  sink. 


2.  Clink,  clink,  clinkerty  clink ! 

From  labor  and  care  we  never  will  shrink ; 
But  our  fires  we'll  blow 
Till  our  forges  glow 
With  light  intense,  while  our  eyelids  wink. 


THIRD  READER.  39 

3.  Clink,  clink,  clink erty  clink : 

The  chain  we'll  forge  with  many  a  link. 

We'll  work  each  form 

While  the  iron  is  warm, 
With  strokes  as  fast  as  we  can  think. 

4.  Clink,  clink,  clinkerty  clink! 

Our  faces  may  be  as  black  as  ink, 

But  our  hearts  are  true 

As  man  ever  knew, 
And  kindly  of  all  we  shall  ever  think. 


LESSON    Xfl. 

shook  grav'el  in  vit'ed  as  sure'  eon  tin'ued 

plants          bor'derg        en  joyed'  mgd'dle  ad  mir'ing 

A   WALK    IN   THE   GARDEN. 

1.  Frank  was  one  day  walking  with  his 
mother,  when  they  came  to  a  pretty  garden. 
Frank  looked  in,  and  saw  that  it  had  clean 
gravel  walks,  and  beds  of  beautiful  flowers  all 
in  bloom. 

2.  He  called  to  his  mother,  and  said, 
"  Mother,  come  and  look  at  this  pretty 
garden.  I  wish  I  might  open  the  gate,  and 
walk   in." 


40 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


3.  The  gardener,  being  near,  heard  what 
Frank  said,  and  kindly  invited  him  and  his 
mother  to  come  into  the  garden. 

4.  Frank's  mother  thanked  the  man.  Turn- 
ing to  her  son,  she  said,  "  Frank,  if  I  take 
you  to  walk  in  this  garden,  you  must  take 
care  not  to  meddle  with  anything  in  it." 


5.  Frank  walked  along  the  neat  gravel  paths, 
and  looked  at  everything,  but  touched  noth- 
ing that  he  saw. 

6.  He  did  not  tread  on  any  of  the  borders, 
and  was  careful  that  his  clothes  should  not 
brush  the  tops  of  the  flowers,  lest  he  might 
break  them. 


THIRD  READER.  41 

7.  The  gardener  was  much  pleased  with 
Frank,  because  he  was  so  careful  not  to  do 
mischief.  He  showed  him  the  seeds,  and  told 
him  the  names  of  many  of  the  flowers  and 
plants. 

8.  While  Frank  was  admiring  the  beauty 
of  a  flower,  a  boy  came  to  the  gate,  and 
finding  it  locked,  he  shook  it  hard.  But  it 
would  not  open.  Then  he  said,  "  Let  me 
in ;  let  me  in ;  will  you  not  let  me  in  this 
garden?  " 

9.  "No,  indeed,"  said  the  gardener,  "I  will 
not  let  you  in,  I  assure  you;  for  when  I  let 
you  in  yesterday,  you  meddled  with  my  flow- 
ers, and  pulled  some  of  my  rare  fruit.  I  do 
not  choose  to  let  a  boy  into  my  garden  who 
meddles  with  the  plants." 

10.  The  boy  looked  ashamed,  and  when  he 
found  that  the  gardener  would  not  let  him 
in,   he  went   slowly   away. 

11.  Frank  saw  and  felt  how  much  happier 
a  boy  may  be  by  not  meddling  with  what 
does  not  belong  to  him. 

12.  He  and  his  mother  then  continued  their 
walk  in  the  garden,  and  enjoyed  the  day  very 
much.  Before  they  left,  the  gardener  gave 
each  of  them  some  pretty  flowers. 


42  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


t 

LESSON    XIII. 

wolf 

grieved 

sleeve            neigb/bor§ 

ear'nest 

ax'eg 

elubg 

6r'der           sm'gle 
THE    WOLF. 

de  stroy' 

1.  A  boy  was  once  taking  care  of  some 
sheep,  not  far  from  a  forest.  Near  by  was 
a  village,  and  he  was  told  to  call  for  help 
if  there   was    any  danger. 

2.  One  day,  in  order  to  have  some  fun, 
he  cried  out,  with  all  his  might,  "  The  wolf 
is   coming !    the  wolf   is    coming !  " 

3.  The  men  came  running  with  clubs  and 
axes  to  destroy  the  wolf.  As  they  saw  noth- 
ing they  went  home  again,  and  left  John 
laughing   in    his    sleeve. 

4.  As  he  had  had  so  much  fun  this  time, 
John  cried  out  again,  the  next  day,  "  The 
wolf!   the  wolf!" 

5.  The  men  came  again,  but  not  so  many 
as  the  first  time.  Again  they  saw  no  trace 
of  the  wolf;  so  they  shook  their  heads,  and 
went  back. 

6.  On  the  third  day,  the  wolf  came  in  ear- 
nest.    John    cried    in    dismay,    "Help!    help! 


THIRD  READER. 


43 


the  wolf!  the  wolf!"     But  not  a  single  man 
came  to  help  him. 

7.  The  wolf  broke  into  the  flock,  and  killed 


a    great    many    sheep.      Among    them    was    a 
beautiful  lamb,  which  belonged  to  John. 

8.  Then  he  felt  very  sorry  that  he  had  de- 
ceived his  friends  and  neighbors,  and  grieved 
over  the  loss  of  his  pet  lamb. 

The  truth  itself  is  not  believed, 
From  one  who  often  has  deceived. 


44 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    XIV. 

mSl'o  dy.        un  no'ticed         mdd'est        eon  tgnt'         Gra'gfe 


THE    LITTLE    BIRD  S    SONG. 

1.  A  little  bird,  with  feathers  brown, 

Sat  singing  on  a  tree ; 
The  song  was  very  soft  and  low, 
But  sweet  as  it  could  be. 

2.  The  people  who  were  passing  by, 

Looked  up  to  see  the  bird 


THIRD  READER.  45 

That  made  the  sweetest  melody 
That  ever  they  had  heard. 

3.  But  all  the  bright  eyes  looked  in  vain; 

Birdie  was  very  small, 
And  with  his  modest,  dark-brown  coat, 
He  made  no  show  at  all. 

4.  "Why,  father,"  little  Gfracie  said, 

"Where  can  the  birdie  be? 
If  I  could  sing  a  song '  like  that, 
I'd  sit  where  folks  could  see." 

5.  "I  hope  my  little  girl  will  learn 

A  lesson  from  the  bird, 
And  try  to  do  what  good  she  can, 
Not  to  be  seen  or  heard. 

6.  "  This  birdie  is  content  to  sit 

Unnoticed  on  the  way, 
And  sweetly  sing  his  Maker's  praise 
From  dawn  to  close  of  day. 

7.  "So  live,  my  child,  all  through  your  life, 

That,  be  it  short  or  long, 
Though  others  may  forget  your  looks, 
They'll  not  forget  your  song." 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    XV. 


least        thaw  slld'ing  plunged  nat'uredly 

bade        seat'ter        pre  tend'        ex  plor'ing        dis  o  be'di  ent 


HARRY    AND    ANNIE. 

1.  Harry  and  Annie  lived  a  mile  from 
town,  but  they  went  there  to  school  every 
day.  It  was  a  pleasant  walk  down  the  lane, 
and  through  the  meadow  by  the  pond. 

2.  I  hardly  know  whether  they  liked  it 
better  in  summer  or  in  winter.  They  used 
to  pretend  that  they  were  travelers  exploring 
a    new  country,  and   would    scatter    leaves    on 


THIRD  READER.  47 

the  road  that  they  might  find  their  way  back 
again. 

3.  When  the  ice  was  thick  and  firm,  they 
went  across  the  pond.  But  their  mother  did 
not  like  to  have  them  do  this  unless  some 
one  was   with   them. 

4.  "Do  n't  go  across  the  pond  to-day,  chil- 
dren," she  said,  as  she  kissed  them  and  bade 
them  good-by  one  morning;  "it  is  beginning 
to   thaw." 

5.  "All  right,  mother,"  said  Harry,  not 
very  good-naturedly,  for  he  was  very  fond 
of  running  and  sliding  on  the  ice.  When 
they  came  to  the  pond,  the  ice  looked  hard 
and  '  safe. 

6.  "There,"  said  he  to  his  sister,  "I  knew 
it  had  n't  thawed  any.  Mother  is  always 
afraid  we  shall  be  drowned.  Come  along,  we 
will  have  a  good  time  sliding.  The  school 
bell  will  not  ring  for  an  hour  at  least." 

7.  "But  you  promised  mother,"  said  Annie. 

8.  "No,  I  didn't.  I  only  said  'All  right,' 
and  it  is  all  right." 

9.  "I  didn't  say  anything;  so  I  can  do 
as   I    like,"  said   Annie. 

10.  So  they  stepped  on  the  ice,  and  started 
to  go   across   the   pond.     They  had   not   gone 


48  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

far    before    the    ice    gave   way,    and    they  fell 
into   the   water. 

11.  A  man  who  was  at  work  near  the 
shore,  heard  the  screams  of  the  children, 
and  plunged  into  the  water  to  save  them. 
Harry  managed  to  get  to  the  shore  without 
any  help,  but  poor  Annie  was  nearly  drowned 
before  the  man  could  reach  her. 

12.  Harry  went  home  almost  frozen,  and 
told  his  mother  how  disobedient  he  had  been. 
He  remembered  the  lesson  learned  that  day 
as   long   as   he   lived. 


LESSON    > 

[VI. 

wife 

greet 

beard 

worm§ 

prayers 

faith 

grove 

eriists 

church 

fur'nished 

BIRD    FRIENDS. 

1.  I  once  knew  a  man  who  was  rich  in 
his  love  for  birds,  and  in  their  love  for  him. 
He  lived  in  the  midst  of  a  grove  full  of  all 
kinds  of  trees.  He  had  no  wife  or  children 
in   his   home. 

2.  He  was  an  old  man  with  gray  beard, 
blue    and    kind    eyes,    and    a    voice    that    the 


THIRD   READER. 


49 


birds   loved;    and   this   was   the   way   he  made 
them  his  friends. 

3.   While   he  was   at  work  with    a  rake  on 
his    nice  walks   in   the   grove,  the   birds  came 


^■' -..'..■■..'  :'...  ■' '-'■■"<;  ' '...:■' v".   '  '■'-■^ 


close  to  him  to  pick  up  the  worms  in  the 
fresh  earth  he  dug  up.  At  first,  they  kept 
a  rod  or  two  from  him,  but  they  soon  found 
he  was  a  kind  man,  and  would  not  hurt 
them,  but  liked  to  have  them  near  him. 

3,  4. 


50  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

4.  They  knew  this  by  his  kind  eyes  and 
voice,  which  tell  what  is  in  the  heart.  So, 
day  by  day  their  faith  in  his  love  grew  in 
them. 

5.  They  came  close  to  the  rake.  They 
would  hop  on  top  of  it,  to  be  first  at  the 
worm.  They  would  turn  up  their  eyes  into 
his  when  he  spoke  to  them,  as  if  they  said, 
"  He  is  a  kind  man ;  he  loves  us ;  we  need 
not    fear    him." 

6.  All  the  birds  of  the  grove  were  soon 
his  fast  friends.  They  were  on  the  watch 
for  him,  and  would  fly  down  from  the  green 
tree  tops  to  greet  him  with  their  chirp. 

7.  When  he  had  no  work  on  the  walks 
to  do  with  his  rake  or  his  hoe,  he  took 
crusts  of  bread  with  him,  and  dropped  the 
crumbs  on  the  ground.  Down  they  would 
dart  on  his  head  and  feet  to  catch  them  as 
they  fell   from   his   hand. 

8  He  showed  me  how  they  loved  him. 
He  put  a  crust  of  bread  in  his  mouth,  with 
one  end  of  it  out  of  his  lips.  Down  they 
came  like  bees  at  a  flower,  and  flew  off 
with    it   crumb   by  crumb. 

9.  When  they  thought  he  slept  too  long 
in    the    morning,    they    would    fly   in    and    sit 


THIRD   READER.  51 

on   the   bedpost,    and   call   him   up  with   their 
chirp. 

10.  They  went  with  him  to  church,  and 
while  he  said  his  prayers  and  sang  his 
hymns  in  it,  they  sat  in  the  trees,  and 
sang  their  praises  to  the  same  good  God 
who    cares    for   them   as    he   does    for   us. 

11.  Thus  the  love  and  trust  of  birds  were 
a  joy  to  him  all  his  life  long;  and  such 
love  and  trust  no  boy  or  girl  can  fail  to 
win  with  the  same  kind  heart,  voice,  and 
eye   that   he   had. 

Adapted  from   Elihu   Burritt. 

LESSON    XVII. 

WHAT    THE   MINUTES   SAY. 

1.  We  are  but  minutes  —  little  things! 
Each  one  furnished  with  sixty  wings, 
With  which  we  fly  on  our  unseen  track, 
And  not  a  minute  ever  comes  back. 

2.  We  are  but  minutes;  use  us  well, 

For  how  we  are  used  we  must  one  day  tell. 
Who  uses  minutes,  has  hours  to  use; 
Who  loses  minutes,  whole  years  must  lose. 


52 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


died 

pit'y 


worn  an 
mis  take' 


LESSON    XVIII. 

eon  vinced' 
re  ward'ed 


a  mazed' 
grate'ful 


wrote 
chgck 


e§  i  tii'tion 
hug'band  mu  51'cian 

wid'ow  as  sist'ance 


THE  WIDOW  AND  THE  MERCHANT. 

1.  A  merchant,  who  was  very  fond  of  music, 
was  asked  by  a  poor  widow  to  give  her  some 
assistance.  Her  husband,  who  was  a  musician, 
had  died,  and  left  her  very  poor  indeed. 

2.  The  merchant  saw  that  the  widow  and 
her  daughter,  who  was  with  her,  were  in  great 


THIRD   READER.  53 

distress.  He  looked  with  pity  into  their  pale 
faces,  and  was  convinced  by  their  conduct  that 
their  sad  story  was  true. 

3.  "How  much  do  you  want,  my  good 
woman?"  said   the    merchant. 

4.  "Five  dollars  will  save  us,"  said  the 
poor  widow,   with    some   hesitation. 

5.  The  merchant  sat  down  at  his  desk, 
took  a  piece  of  paper,  wrote  a  few  lines  on 
it,  and  gave  it  to  the  widow  with  the  words, 
"  Take  it  to  the  bank  you  see  on  the  other 
side  of  the  street." 

6.  The  grateful  widow  and  her  daughter, 
without  stopping  to  read  the  note,  hastened 
to  the  bank.  The  banker  at  once  counted 
out  fifty  dollars  instead  of  five,  and  passed 
them   to   the  widow. 

7.  She  was  amazed  when  she  saw  so  much 
money.  "Sir,  there  is  a  mistake  here,"  she 
said.  "You  have  given  me  fifty  dollars,  and 
I    asked   for   only  five." 

8.  The  banker  looked  at  the  note  once 
more,  and  said,  "  The  check  calls  for  fifty 
dollars." 

9.  "It  is  a  mistake  —  indeed  it  is,"  said 
the   widow. 

10.  The    banker    then    asked    her    to   wait 


54  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

a    few    minutes,    while    he    went    to    see    the 
merchant  who   gave    her   the   note. 

11.  uYes,"  said  the  merchant,  when  he 
had  heard  the  banker's  story,  "  I  did  make 
a  mistake.  I  wrote  fifty  instead  of  five  hun- 
dred. Give  the  poor  widow  five  hundred 
dollars,  for  such  honesty  is  poorly  rewarded 
with   even   that   sum." 


LESSON  XIX. 

wireg 

trade 

bar'gain           sad'ness 

prig'on  erg 

war 

French 

a  piece'             niim'ber 

re  golved' 

THE    BIRDS    SET    FREE. 

1.  A  man  was  walking  one  day  through 
a  large  city.  On  a  street  corner  he  saw  a 
boy  with  a  number  of  small  birds  for  sale, 
in   a   cage. 

2.  He  looked  with  sadness  upon  the  little 
prisoners  flying  about  the  cage,  peeping 
through  the  wires,  beating  them  with  their 
wings,   and    trying   to   get   out. 

3.  He  stood  for  some  time  looking  at  the 
birds.  At  last  he  said  to  the  boy,  "How 
much    do    you    ask    for    your   birds  ? " 


THIRD  READER. 


55 


4.  "Fifty  cents  apiece,  sir,"  said  the  boy. 
"I  do  not  mean  how  much  apiece,"  said  the 
man,  "but  how  much  for  all  of  them?  I 
want  to  buy  them  all" 

5.  The  boy  began  to  count,  and  found  they 
came  to  five  dollars.     "There  is  your  money," 


said   the  man.     The  boy  took  it,  well   pleased 
with  his  morning's  trade. 

6.  No  sooner  was  the  bargain  settled  than 
the  man  opened  the  cage  door,  and  let  all 
the  birds  fly  away. 

7.  The  boy,  in  great  surprise,  cried,  "What 
did  you  do  that  for,  sir?  You  have  lost  all 
your  birds." 


56  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

8.  "I  will  tell  you  why  I  did  it,"  said 
the  man.  "  I  was  shut  up  three  years  in 
a  French  prison,  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  and 
I  am  resolved  never  to  see  anything  in 
prison   which    I    can    make    free." 


LESSON   XX. 

down'y  firm'ly  staid  pSt'al§  erime 

L    MOMENT    TOO    LATE. 

1.  A  moment  too  late,  my  beautiful  bird, 

A  moment  too  late  are  you  now ; 
The  wind  has  your  soft,  downy  nest  disturbed  — 
The  nest  that  you  hung  on  the  bough. 

2.  A  moment  too  late;  that  string  in  your  bill, 

Would  have  fastened  it  firmly  and  strong; 
But  see,  there  it  goes,  rolling  over  the  hill ! 
Oh,  you  staid  a  moment  too  long. 

3.  A  moment,  one  moment  too  late,  busy  bee ; 

The  honey  has  dropped  from  the  flower: 
No  use  to  creep  under  the  petals  and  see ; 
It  stood  ready  to  drop  for  an  hour. 

4.  A  moment  too  late  ;  had  you  sped  on  your  wing, 

The  honey  would  not  have  been  gone  ; 


THIRD   READER.  57 

Now  you  see  what  a  very,  a  very  sad  thing 
'Tis  to  stay  a  moment  too  long. 

5.  Little  girl,  never  be  a  moment  too  late, 

It  will  soon  end  in  trouble  or  crime; 
Better  be  an  hour  early,  and  stand  and  wait, 
Than  a  moment  behind  the  time. 

6.  If  the  bird  and  the  bee,  little  boy,  were  too  late, 

Remember,  as  you  play  along 
On  your  way  to  school,  with  pencil  and  slate, 
Never  stay  a  moment  too  long. 


LESSON    XXI. 

W6st  In'dieg      a  dorn'      ap  proach'      mo'tion        at  tached' 
sugar  plum        eSt'ton      in'stinet         ob'jeet  de  fend'ing 

nSc'es  sa  ry         rfip'id       brilliant        f i'ber§         se  vere'ly 

HUMMING  BIRDS. 

1.  The  most  beautiful  humming  birds  are 
found  in  the  West  Indies  and  South  Amer- 
ica. The  crest  of  the  tiny  head  of  one  of 
these  shines  like  a  sparkling  crown  of  colored 
light. 

2.  The  shades  of  color  that  adorn  its 
breast,    are    equally    brilliant.      As    the    bird 


58 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


flits  from  one  object  to  another,  it  looks  more 
like  a  bright  flash  of  sunlight  than  it  does 
like  a  living  being. 

3.  But,  you  ask,  why  are  they  j-:„ 
called  humming  birds  ?  It  is  be-  :  }~\ 
cause  they  make  a  soft,  humming 
noise  by  the  rapid  motion  of  their 
wings — a  motion  so  rapid,  that  as 
they  fly  you  can  only  see  that 
they  have  wings. 

4.  One   day  when  walking 
in    the   woods,    I    found    the 

nest    of     one    of    the 


R  smallest     humming- 


birds. It  was  about 
mj  half  the  size  of  a  very 
|ff>    small   hen's   egg,   and 


THIRD   READER.  59 

was  attached  to  a  twig  no  thicker  than  a  steel 
knitting  needle. 

5.  It  seemed  to  have  been  made  of  cotton 
fibers,  and  was  covered  with  the  softest  bits 
of  leaf  and  bark.  It  had  two  eggs  in  it, 
quite  white,  and  each  about  as  large  as  a 
small    sugarplum. 

6.  When  you  approach  the  spot  where 
one  of  these  birds  has  built  its  nest,  it  is 
necessary  to  be  careful.  The  mother  bird 
will  dart  at  you  and  try  to  peck  your  eyes. 
Its  sharp  beak  may  hurt  your  eyes  most 
severely,    and   even   destroy   the   sight. 

7.  The  poor  little  thing  knows  no  other 
way  of  defending  its  young,  and  instinct 
teaches  it  that  you  might  carry  off  its  nest 
if  you   could   find   it. 


LESSON    XXII, 

de  cide'  btie'kled  moun'tain         shel'ter  paVty 

dis  pute'         sue  ceed'  for'ci  bly  man' tie  ov'en 

THE     WIND     AND     THE     SUN. 

A    FABLE. 

1.  A  dispute  once  arose  between  the  Wind 
and   the   Sun,   as  to  which  was   the   stronger. 


60  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

2.  To  decide  the  matter,  they  agreed  to 
try  their  power  on  a  traveler.  That  party 
which  should  first  strip  him  of  his  cloak, 
was   to   win   the   day. 

3.  The  Wind  began.  He  blew  a  cutting 
blast,  which  tore  up  the  mountain  oaks  by 
their  roots,  and  made  the  whole  forest  look 
like  a  wreck. 

4.  But  the  traveler,  though  at  first  he 
could  scarcely  keep  his  cloak  on  his  back, 
ran  under  a  hill  for  shelter,  and  buckled 
his   mantle   about   him    more    closely. 

5.  The  Wind  having  thus  tried  his  utmost 
power   in   vain,    the    Sun   began. 

6.  Bursting  through  a  thick  cloud,  he  darted 
his  sultry  beams  so  forcibly  upon  the  travel- 
er's head,  that  the  poor  fellow  was  almost 
melted. 

7.  "This,"  said  he,  "is  past  all  bearing. 
It  is  so  hot,  that  one  might  as  well  be  in 
an   oven." 

8.  So  he  quickly  threw  off  his  cloak,  and 
went  into  the  shade  of  a  tree  to  cool 
himself. 

9.  This  fable  teaches  us,  that  gentle  means 
will  often  succeed  where  forcible  ones  will 
fail. 


THIRD  READER. 


61 


LESSON    XXIII. 

sinking  stream'let  sweet'ness 


eow'slip 


SUNSET. 


T3iAoU)  amA,  Ihtsbb  amxL  chjJLdAiiM, 


62  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

Oiy\Aj  Xhjb  vyuAAaj  kXAsuxsmh&j , 

cl  vnxiA  \Xb  <AHjr\Arr\x}/  Aoru>. 
2,. 

(JUL  amvcmyO'  Xhjb  aA^AAxA 

MSaJkuA  Vojum>  with  \Xb  (xAxmvb. 

LESSON    XXIV. 

o  pin'ion  pi  an'o  coarse  bathe  sweep 


BEAUTIFUL    HANDS. 


1.  "0  Miss  Roberts!  what  coarse-looking 
hands  Mary  Jessup  has!"  said  Daisy  Mar- 
vin, as  she  walked  home  from  school  with 
her   teacher. 


THIRD  READER.  63 

2.  "  In  my  opinion,  Daisy,  Mary's  hands 
are   the   prettiest   in    the   class." 

3.  "Why,  Miss  Roberts,  they  are  as  red 
and  hard  as  they  can  be.  How  they  would 
look  if  she  were  to  try  to  play  on  a  piano!" 
exclaimed  Daisy. 

4.  Miss  Roberts  took  Daisy's  hands  in 
hers,  and  said,  "Your  hands  are  very  soft 
and  white,  Daisy — just  the  hands  to  look 
beautiful  on  a  piano ;  yet  they  lack  one 
beauty  that  Mary's  hands  have.  Shall  I 
tell   you   what   the    difference   is?" 

5.  "Yes,    please,    Miss    Roberts." 

6.  "Well,  Daisy,  Mary's  hands  are  always 
busy.  They  wash  dishes ;  they  make  fires ; 
they  hang  out  clothes,  and  help  to  wash 
them,  too ;  they  sweep,  and  dust,  and  sew ; 
they  are  always  trying  to  help  her  poor, 
hard-working    mother. 

7.  "  Besides,  they  wash  and  dress  the  chil- 
dren ;  they  mend  their  toys  and  dress  their, 
dolls ;  yet,  they  find  time  to  bathe  the  head 
of  the  little  girl  who  is  so  sick  in  the  next 
house   to   theirs. 

8.  "  They  are  full  of  good  deeds  to  every 
living  thing.  I  have  seen  them  patting  the 
tired   horse   and   the   lame   dog   in  the  street. 


64 


ECLECTIC   SERIES. 


They    are    always    ready    to   help    those    who 
need  help." 

9.  "I  shall  never  think  Mary's  hands  are 
ugly  any  more,  Miss  Roberts." 

10.  "I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that, 
Daisy;  and  I  must  tell  you  that  they  are 
beautiful  because  they  do  their  work  gladly 
and   cheerfully." 

11.  "  0  Miss  Roberts !  I  feel  so  ashamed 
of  myself,  and  so  sorry,"  said  Daisy,  looking 
into  her  teacher's  face  with  tearful  eyes. 


THIRD  READER.  65 

12.  "  Then,  my  dear,  show  your  sorrow  by 
deeds  of  kindness.  The  good  alone  are  really 
beautiful." 


LESSON    XXV. 

a  void' 

pre  vent' 

for  give' 

rl§e 

guide 

dur'ing 

pout'ing 

pro  tee'tion 

slam 

man'ner 

pee'vish 

howl'ing 

sat'is  fled 

trust 

an'gry 

THINGS     TO     REMEMBER. 

1.  When  you  rise  in  the  morning,  remem- 
ber who  kept  you  from  danger  during  the 
night.  Remember  who  watched  over  you 
while  you  slept,  and  whose  sun  shines  around 
you,  and  gives  you  the  sweet  light  of  day. 

2.  Let  God  have  the  thanks  of  your  heart, 
for  his  kindness  and  his  care;  and  pray 
for  his  protection  during  the  wakeful  hours 
of  day. 

3.  Remember  that  God  made  all  creatures 
to  be  happy,  and  will  do  nothing  that  may 
prevent  their  being  so,  without  good  reason 
for  it. 

4.  When  you  are  at  the  table,  do  not  eat 
in  a  greedy  manner,  like  a  pig.     Eat  quietly, 

3.  5 


66  ECLECTIC  SEBIES. 

and    do-  not    reach    forth    your    hand   for   the 
food,    but   ask   some   one   to   help   you. 

5.  Do  not  become  peevish  and  pout,  be- 
cause you  do  not  get  a  part  of  everything. 
Be   satisfied   with   what  is  given   you. 

6.  Avoid  a  pouting  face,  angry  looks,  and 
angry  words.  Do  not  slam  the  doors.  Go 
quietly  up  and  down  stairs ;  and  never  make 
a  loud  noise  about   the   house. 

7.  Be  kind  and  gentle  in  your  manners; 
not  like  the  howling  winter  storm,  but  like 
the  bright  summer  morning. 

8.  Do  always  as  your  parents  bid  you. 
Obey  them  with  a  ready  mind,  and  with  a 
pleasant  face. 

9.  Never  do  anything  that  you  would  be 
afraid  or  ashamed  that  your  parents  should 
know.  Remember,  if  no  one  else  sees  you, 
God  does,  from  whom  you  can  not  hide 
even   your   most  secret   thought. 

10.  At  night,  before  you  go  to  sleep,  think 
whether  you  have  done  anything  that  was 
wrong  during  the  day,  and  pray  to  God  to 
forgive  you.  If  any  one  has  done  you  wrong, 
forgive   him  in  your  heart. 

11.  If  you  have  not  learned  something 
useful,    or    been    in    some   way   useful,    during 


THIRD   READER.  67 

the   past   day,    think    that    it   is    a    day    lost, 
and  be   very   sorry   for    it. 

12.  Trust  in  the  Lord,  and  He  will  guide 
you  in  the  way  of  good  men.  The  path  of 
the  just  is  as  the  shining  light  that  shineth 
more   and   more  unto   the   perfect  day. 

13.  We  must  do  all  the  good  we  can  to 
all  men,  for  this  is  well  pleasing  in  the 
sight  of  God.  He  delights  to  see  his  chil- 
dren walk  in  love,  and  do  good  one  to 
another. 


LESSON    XXVI 

■ 

ex  aet'ly 

fold'ing 

cheese 

cham'ber 

rat'tling 

pro  trud'ed 

fore'paw§ 

gazed 

doubt 

re  leased' 

per  plexed' 

lat'tice 

queer 

eo'zy 

stair'ease 

THEEE     LITTLE    MICE. 

1.  I  will  tell  you  the  story  of  three  little  mice, 

If  you  will  keep  still  and  listen  to  me, 
Who  live  in  a  cage  that  is  cozy  and  nice, 

And  are  just  as  cunning  as  cunning  can  be. 
They  look  very  wise,  with  their  pretty  red  eyes, 

That  seem  just  exactly  like  little  round  beads; 
They  are  white  as  the  snow,  and  stand  up  in  a  row 

Whenever  we  do  not  attend  to  their  needs;  — 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


2.  Stand  up  in  a  row  in  a  comical  way, — 

Now     folding     their     forepaws     as     if     saying, 
"please;" 
Now  rattling  the  lattice,  as  much  as  to  say, 

"  We    shall    not   stay    here    without    more    bread 
and   cheese." 
They  are  not  at  all  shy,  as  you  '11  find,  if  you  try 
To  make  them  run  up  in  their  chamber  to  bed; 
If  they  don't   want  to  go,   why,  they  won't  go  — 
ah !   no, 
Though    you    tap    with    your    finger    each    queer 
little   head. 

3.  One  day  as  I  stood  by  the  side  of  the  cage, 

Through     the     bars    there    protruded    a    funny, 
round   tail ; 


THIRD  READER.  69 

Just  for  mischief  I  caught  it,  and  soon,  in  a  rage, 

Its  owner  set  up  a  most  pitiful  wail. 
He    looked    in    dismay, —  there    was    something   to 

pay- 
But  what  was  the  matter  he  could  not  make  out; 
What  was  holding  him  so,  when  he  wanted  to  go 
To  see  what  his  brothers  upstairs  were  about? 

4.  But    soon    from    the    chamber    the    others    rushed 
down, 
Impatient  to  learn  what  the  trouble  might  be; 
I  have  not  a  doubt  that  each  brow  wore  a  frown, 
Only  frowns  on  their  brows  are  not  easy  to  see. 
For  a  moment  they  gazed,  perplexed  and  amazed; 
Then  began  both  together  to — gnaw  off  the  tail ! 
So,  quick    I   released   him, —  do    you   think   that    it 
pleased  him  ? 
And  up  the  small  staircase  they  fled  like  a  gale. 

Julia  C.  R.  Dorr. 


LESSON    XXVII. 

Ed' ward      re  ceive'        wretch'ed       thousand     grat'i  tude 
re  peat'        lan'guage      shiv'er  ing     Ger'man       un  der  stood' 

THE     NEW  YEAR. 

1.  One    pleasant    New-year     morning,     Ed- 
ward  rose,    and   washed    and   dressed    himself 


70 


ECLECTIC  SEBIES. 


in   haste.     He   wanted   to   be   first   to   wish   a 
happy  New  Year. 

2.   He   looked   in   every  room,   and   shouted 
the    words    of    welcome.       He    ran    into    the 


street,    to    repeat    them    to    those    he    might 
meet. 

3.  When  he  came  back,  his  father  gave 
him  two  bright,  new    silver  dollars. 

4.  His  face  lighted  up  as  he  took  them. 
He  had  wished  for  a  long  time  to  buy 
some  pretty  books  that  he  had  seen  at  the 
bookstore. 


THIRD  READER.  71 

5.  He  left  the  house  with  a  light  heart, 
intending  to   buy   the   books. 

6.  As  he  ran  down  the  street,  he  saw  a 
poor  German  family,  the  father,  mother,  and 
three   children   shivering  with  cold. 

7.  "I  wish  you  a  happy  New  Year,"  said 
Edward,  as  he  was  gayly  passing  on.  The 
man   shook   his   head. 

8.  "  You  do  not  belong  to  this  country," 
said  Edward.  The  man  again  shook  his 
head,  for  he  could  not  understand  or  speak 
our  language. 

9.  But  he  pointed  to  his  mouth,  and  to 
the  children,  as  if  to  say,  "  These  little  ones 
have  had  nothing  to  eat  for  a  long  time." 

10.  Edward  quickly  understood  that  these 
poor  people  were  in  distress.  He  took  out 
his  dollars,  and  gave  one  to  the  man,  and 
the   other   to   his   wife. 

11.  How  their  eyes  sparkled  with  grati- 
tude !  They  said  something  in  their  lan- 
guage, which  doubtless  meant,  "We  thank 
you  a  thousand  times,  and  will  remember 
you  in   our  prayers." 

12.  When  Edward  came  home,  his  father 
asked  what  books  he  had  bought.  He  hung 
his  head  a  moment,  but  quickly  looked  up. 


72  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

13.  "I  have  bought  no  books,"  said  he,  "I 
gave  my  money  to  some  poor  people,  who 
seemed   to  be   very   hungry   and   wretched. 

14.  "I  think  I  can  wait  for  my  books  till 
next  New  Year.  Oh,  if  you  had  seen  how 
glad  they   were   to   receive   the   money!" 

15.  "My  dear  boy,"  said  his  father,  "here 
is  a  whole  bundle  of  books.  I  give  them  to 
you,  more  as  a  reward  for  your  goodness  of 
heart   than   as   a    New-year  gift. 

16.  "I  saw  you  give  the  money  to  the 
poor  German  family.  It  was  no  small  sum 
for   a   little   boy  to  give  cheerfully. 

17.  "Be  thus  ever  ready  to  help  the  poor, 
and  wretched,  and  distressed ;  and  every  year 
of  your  life  will  be  to  you  a  happy  New 
Year." 


LESSON   XXVIII. 

stock 

spir'it 

hum'ble 

gloom'y 

sun'di  al 

fol'ly 

stee'ple 

stu'pid 

boast'ing 

mftd'es  ty 

THE     CLOCK     AND     THE     SUNDIAL. 

A   FABLE. 

1.  One  gloomy  day,   the  clock  on  a  church 
steeple,    looking    clown    on    a     sundial,    said, 


THIRD   READER. 


73 


"How  stupid  it 
is  in  you  to 
stand  there  all 
the  while  like  a 
stock ! 


2.  "  You  never  tell  the  hour  till  a  bright 
sun  looks  forth  from  the  sky,  and  gives  you 
leave.  I  go  merrily  round,  day  and  night, 
in  summer  and  winter  the  same,  without  ask- 
ing his  leave. 

3.  "I  tell  the  people  the  time  to  rise,  to 
go  to  dinner,  and  to  come  to  church. 


74  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

4.  "Hark!  I  am  going  to  strike  now;  one, 
two,  three,  four.  There  it  is  for  you.  How 
silly   you   look!    You   can   say    nothing." 

5.  The  sun,  at  that  moment,  broke  forth 
from  behind  a  cloud,  and  showed,  by  the 
sundial,  that  the  clock  was  half  an  hour 
behind   the   right   time. 

6.  The  boasting  clock  now  held  his  tongue, 
and  the   dial   only   smiled   at  his   folly. 

7.  Moral. — Humble  modesty  is  more  often 
right  than   a   proud   and   boasting  spirit. 


LESSON    XXIX. 

pun'ish         ae'tion§  wick'ed         falsehood  wake'ful 

REMEMBER. 

1.  Remember,  child,  remember, 

That  God  is  in  the  sky ; 
That  He  looks  down  on  all  we  do, 
With  an  ever-wakeful  eye. 

2.  Remember,  Oh  remember, 

That,  all  the  day  and  night, 
He  sees  our  thoughts  and  actions 
With  an  ever-watchful  sight. 


THIRD  READER.  75 

3.  Remember,  child,  remember, 

That  God  is  good  and  true ; 
That  He  wishes  us  to  always  be 
Like  Him  in  all  we  do. 

4.  Remember  that  He  ever  hates 

A  falsehood  or  a  lie ; 
Remember  He  will  punish,  too, 
The  wicked,  by  and  by. 

5.  Remember,  oh  remember, 

That  He  is  like  a  friend, 
And  wishes  us  to  holy  be, 
And  happy,  in  the  end. 

6.  Remember,  child,  remember, 

To  pray  to  Him  in  heaven ; 
And  if  you  have  been  doing  wrong, 
Oh,  ask  to  be  forgiven. 

7.  Be  sorry,  in  your  little  prayer. 

And  whisper  in  his  ear ; 
Ask  his  forgiveness  and  his  love. 
And  He  will  surely  hear. 

8.  Remember,  child,  remember, 

That  you  love,  with  all  your  might, 


76 


ECLECTIC  SEEJES. 


The  God  who  watches  o'er  us, 
And  gives  us  each  delight; 

Who  guards  us  ever  through  the  day, 
And  saves  us  in  the  night. 


LESSON 

XXX. 

deal 

straight 

eour'age 

re  proach' 

eow'ard  ice 

depth 

effort 

eow'ard 

de  served' 

sehool'mates 

COURAGE    AND    COWARDICE. 

1.  Robert  and  Henry  were  going  home 
from  school,  when,  on  turning  a  corner,  Rob- 
ert cried  out,   "A  fight!   let  us  go  and  see!" 


THIRD  READER.     .  TJ 

2.  "No,"  said  Henry;  "let  us  go  quietly 
home  and  not  meddle  with  this  quarrel.  We 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  may  get  into 
mischief." 

3.  "  You  are  a  coward,  and  afraid  to  go," 
said  Robert,  and  off  he  ran.  Henry  went 
straight  home,  and  in  the  afternoon  went  to 
school,    as   usual. 

4.  But  Robert  had  told  all  the  boys  that 
Henry  was  a  coward,  and  they  laughed  at 
him   a   great   deal. 

5.  Henry  had  learned,  however,  that  true 
courage  is  shown  most  in  bearing  reproach 
when  not  deserved,  and  that  he  ought  to  be 
afraid  of  nothing  but  doing  wrong. 

6.  A  few  days  after,  Robert  was  bathing 
with  some  schoolmates,  and  got  out  of  his 
depth.  He  struggled,  and  screamed  for  help, 
but  all  in  vain. 

7.  The  boys  who  had  called  Henry  a  cow- 
ard, got  out  of  the  water  as  fast  as  they 
could,  but  they  did  not  even  try  to  help 
him. 

8.  Robert  was  fast  sinking,  when  Henry 
threw  off  his  clothes,  and  sprang  into  the 
water.  He  reached  Robert  just  as  he  was 
sinking  the  last  time. 


78  -  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

9.  By  great  effort,  and  with  much  danger 
to  himself,  he  brought  Robert  to  the  shore, 
and   thus   saved   his   life. 

10.  Robert  and  his  schoolmates  were 
ashamed  at  having  called  Henry  a  coward. 
They  owned  that  he  had  more  courage  than 
any   of  them. 

11.  Never  be  afraid  to  do  good,  but  al- 
ways  fear  to   do   evil. 


LESSON   XXXI. 

east'ern  de  liv'er  ance  weight  fa'vor  ite  cleVer 

sail'or  e  nor'mous  eourt  quan'ti  ty  subject 

ex  pense'  el'e  pliant  stroked  ma  chine'  leaning 

6'pen  ing  dif 'fi  eul  ty  ris/en  re  lieved'  emp'ty 

WEIGHING    AN     ELEPHANT. 

1.  "An  eastern  king,"  said  Teddy's  mother, 
"had  been  saved  from  some  great  danger. 
To  show  his  gratitude  for  deliverance,  he 
vowed  he  would  give  to  the  poor  the  weight 
of  his   favorite    elephant  in   silver." 

2.  "  Oh !  what  a  great  quantity  that  would 
be,"   cried   Lily,   opening  her  eyes  very  wide. 

"But  how  could  you  weigh  an  elephant?" 


THIRD   READER.  79 

asked    Teddy,    who    was    a    quiet,    thoughtful 
boy. 

3.  "There  was  the  difficulty,"  said  his 
mother.  "The  wise,  and  learned  men  of  the 
court  stroked  their  long  beards,  and  talked 
the  matter  over,  but  no  one  found  out  how 
to  weigh  the   elephant. 

4.  "At  last,  a  poor  old  sailor  found  safe 
and  simple  means  by  which  to  weigh  the 
enormous  beast.  The  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  pieces  of  silver  were  counted  out  to 
the  people;  and  crowds  of  the  poor  were  re- 
lieved by  the  clever  thought  of  the  sailor." 

5.  "0  mamma,"  said  Lily,  "do  tell  us 
what  it  was!" 

6.  "Stop,  stop!"  said  Teddy.  "I  want  to 
think  for  myself — think  hard — and  find  out 
how  an  elephant's  weight  could  be  known, 
with  little  trouble   and   expense." 

7.  "I  am  well  pleased,"  said  his  mother, 
"that  my  little  boy  should  set  his  mind  to 
work  on  the  subject.  If  he  can  find  out 
the  sailor's  secret  before  night,  he  shall  have 
that  orange  for  his   pains." 

8.  The  boy  thought  hard  and  long.  Lily 
laughed  at  her  brother's  grave  looks,  as  he 
sat   leaning   his    head    on    his    hands.      Often 


80 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


she  teased  him  with  the   question,  "Can   you 
weigh  an  elephant,  Teddy?" 

9.  At  last,  while  eating  his  supper,  Teddy 
suddenly  cried  out,  "I  have  it  now!" 

10.  "Do  you  think  so?"  asked  his  mother. 

11.  "How  would  you  do  it,"  asked  Lily. 


THIRD  HEADER.  81 

12.  "  First,  I  would  have  a  big  boat  brought 
very  close  to  the  shore,  and  would  have  planks 
laid  across,  so  that  the  elephant  could  walk 
right   into   it." 

13.  "Oh,  such  a  great,  heavy  beast  would 
make  it  sink  low  in  the  water,"  said  Lily. 

14.  "Of  course  it  would,"  said  her  brother. 
"  Then  I  would  mark  on  the  outside  of  the 
boat  the  exact  height  to  which  the  water 
had  risen  all  around  it  while  the  elephant 
was  inside.  Then  he  should  march  on  shore, 
leaving  the  boat  quite  empty." 

15.  "But  I  don't  see  the  use  of  all  this," 
said   Lily. 

16.  "Don't  you?"  cried  Teddy,  in  sur- 
prise. "  Why,  I  should  then  bring  the  heaps 
of  silver,  and  throw  them  into  the  boat  till 
their  weight  would  sink  it  to  the  mark 
made  by  the  elephant.  That  would  show 
that  the  weight  of  each  was  the  same."  a 

17.  "How  funny!"  cried  Lily;  "you  would 
make   a  weighing  machine   of  the  boat?" 

18.  "That   is   my  plan,"    said   Teddy. 

19.  "That  was  the  sailor's  plan,"  said  his 
mother.  "You  have  earned  the  orange,  my 
boy;"   and  she  gave  it  to  him  with  a  smile. 

Adapted  from  A.  L.  O.  E. 
8,  6. 


ECLECTIC  SEMES. 


LESSON   XXXII. 


ranks 

glo'ry 

ar  rayed' 

weap'ons. 

liv'ing 

clad 

ar'mor 

vie' to  ry 

eon'test 

bat'tle 

blood 

en  list' 

mus'tered 

lSng'ing 

war'rior 

THE    SOLDIER. 

1.  A  soldier!   a  soldier!    I  'm  longing  to  be: 
The  name  and  the  life  of  a  soldier  for  me! 
I  would  not  be  living  at  ease  and  at  play; 
True  honor  and  glory  I  'd  win  in  my  day. 

2.  A  soldier !    a  soldier !    in  armor  arrayed ; 
My  weapons  in  hand,  of  no  contest  afraid; 
I  'd  ever  be  ready  to  strike  the  first  blow, 

And  to  fight  my  way  through  the  ranks  of  the  foe. 

3.  But  then,  let  me  tell  you,  no  blood  would  I  shed, 
No  victory  seek  o'er  the  dying  and  dead; 

A  far  braver  soldier  than  this  would  I  be ; 
A  warrior  of  Truth,  in  the  ranks  of  the  free. 

4.  A  soldier !    a  soldier !    Oh,  then,  let  me  be ! 
My  friends,  I  invite  you,  enlist  now  with  me. 
Truth's  bands  shall  be  mustered,   love's  foes  shall 

give  way ! 
Let 's  up,  and  be  clad  in  our  battle  array ! 

J.  O.  Adams. 


THIRD  READER. 


83 


LESSON    XXXIII. 


thick'et 
prov'ing 
fool'ish 


harshly 
to'ward 
a  broad' 


wrath 
geh'o 

cross 


\vh8n9e 

mock'ing 

Bi'ble 


ram'bling 
an'gri  ly 
in'stant  ly 


THE    ECHO. 

1.  As  Robert  was  one  day  rambling  about, 
he  happened  to  cry  out,  "Ho,  ho!"  He  in- 
stantly heard  coming  back  from  a  hill  near 
by,   the   same   words,    "Ho,   ho!" 

2.  In  great  surprise,  he  said  with  a  loud 
voice,  "Who  are  you?"  Upon  this,  the  same 
words  came  back,    "Who  are  you?" 

3.  Robert  now  cried  out  harshly,  "  You 
must  be  a  very  foolish  fellow."  "  Foolish 
fellow!"   came   back   from   the   hill. 

4.  Robert  became  angry,  and  with  loud  and 
fierce  words  went  toward  the  spot  whence 
the  sounds  came.  The  words  all  came  back 
to   him   in   the   same   angry  tone. 

5.  He  then  went  into  the  thicket,  and 
looked  for  the  boy  who,  as  he  thought,  was 
mocking  him ;  but  he  could  find  nobody  any- 
where. 

6.  When  he  went  home,   he  told  his   moth- 


84 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


er   that    some    boy    had    hid    himself    in    the 
wood,  for  the  purpose  of  mocking  him. 

7.  "Robert,"  said  his  mother,  "you  are 
angry  with  yourself  alone.  You  heard  noth- 
ing but  your  own  words." 

8.  "Why,  mother,  how  can  that  be?"  said 
Robert.  "Did  you  never  hear  an  echo?" 
asked  his  mother.  "  An  echo,  dear  mother  ? 
No,  ma'am.     What  is  it?" 

9.  "I  will  tell  you,"  said  his  mother. 
"  You   know,  when   you   play   with   your   ball, 


THIRD  READER.  85 

and  throw  it  against  the  side  of  a  house,  it 
bounds  back  to  you."  "Yes,  mother,"  said 
he,    "and   I   catch   it   again." 

10.  "Well,"  said  his  mother,  "if  I  were 
in  the  open  air,  by  the  side  of  a  hill  or  a 
large  barn,  and  should  speak  very  loud,  my 
voice  would  be  sent  back,  so  that  I  could 
hear  again  the  very  words  which  I  spoke. 

11.  "  That,  my  son,  is  an  echo.  When 
you  thought  some  one  was  mocking  you,  it 
was  only  the  hill  before  you,  echoing,  or 
sending  back,  your   own  voice. 

12.  "  The  bad  boy,  as  you  thought  it  was, 
spoke  no  more  angrily  than  yourself.  If 
you  had  spoken  kindly,  you  would  have 
heard   a   kind   reply. 

13.  "  Had  you  spoken  in  a  low,  sweet, 
gentle  tone,  the  voice  that  came  back  would 
have  been  as  low,  sweet,  and  gentle  as  your 
own. 

14.  "The  Bible  says,  'A  soft  answer  turn- 
eth  away  wrath.'  Remember  this  when  you 
are   at  play   with   your   schoolmates. 

15.  "  If  any  of  them  should  be  offended, 
and  speak  in  a  loud,  angry  tone,  remember 
the  echo,  and  let  your  words  be  soft  and 
kind. 


86  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

16.  "  When  you  come  home  from  school, 
and  find  your  little  brother  cross  and  pee- 
vish, speak  mildly  to  him.  You  will  soon 
see  a  smile  on  his  lips,  and  find  that  his 
tones   will   become   mild   and  sweet. 

17.  "Whether  you  are  in  the  fields  or  in 
the  woods,  at  school  or  at  play,  at  home  or 
abroad,    remember, 

The  good  and  the  kind, 
By  kindness  their  love  ever  proving, 
Will  dwell  with  the  pure  and  the  loving." 


LESSON 

XXXIV. 

faint 

eol  leet' 

re  fresh' 

lin'ing 

hap'pi  ness 

feast 

sear'let 

offered 

lifting 

straw'ber  rie§ 

GEORGE  S     FEAST. 

1.  George's  mother  was  very  poor.  Instead 
of  having  bright,  blazing  fires  in  winter,  she 
had  nothing  to  burn  but  dry  sticks,  which 
George  picked  up  from  under  the  trees  and 
hedges. 

2.  One  fine  day  in  July,  she  sent  George 
to  the  woods,  which  were  about  two  miles 
from    the    village    in    which    she    lived.       He 


THIRD  READER. 


87 


was   to    stay    there   all   day,  to   get   as   much 
wood  as  he  could  collect. 

3.   It  was  a  bright,  sunny  day,  and  George 
worked  very  hard ;    so  that   by  the  time  the 


sun  was  high,  he  was  hot,  and  wished  for  a 
cool  place  where  he  might  rest  and  eat  his 
dinner. 

4.  While  he  hunted  about  the  bank,  he 
saw  among  the  moss  some  fine,  wild  straw- 
berries, which  were  a  bright  scarlet  with 
ripeness. 


88  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

5.  "How  good  these  will  be  with  my  bread 
and  butter!"  thought  George;  and  lining  his 
little  cap  with  leaves,  he  set  to  work  eagerly 
to  gather  all  he  could  find,  and  then  seated 
himself  by  the   brook. 

6.  It  was  a  pleasant  place,  and  George  felt 
happy  and  contented.  He  thought  how  much 
his  mother  would  like  to  see  him  there,  and 
to  be  there  herself,  instead  of  in  her  dark, 
close  room   in  the  village. 

7.  George  thought  of  all  this,  and  just  as 
he  was  lifting  the  first  strawberry  to  his 
mouth,  he  said  to  himself,  "  How  much 
mother  would  like  these;"  and  he  stopped, 
and   put  the   strawberry   back   again. 

8.  "Shall  I  save  them  for  her?"  said  he, 
thinking  how  much  they  would  refresh  her, 
yet  still  looking  at  them  with  a  longing 
eye. 

9.  "I  will  eat  half,  and  take  the  other  half 
to  her,"  said  he  at  last;  and  he  divided 
them  into  two  heaps.  But  each  heap  looked 
so  small,  that  he  put  them  together  again. 

10.  "I  will  only  taste  one,"  thought  he ; 
but,  as  he  again  lifted  it  to  his  mouth,  he 
saw  that  he  had  taken  the  finest,  and  he 
put  it  back.     "  I  will  keep  them  all  for  her," 


THIRD  READER. 


89 


said  he,  and  he  covered  them  up  nicely,  till 
he  should  go  home. 

11.  When  the  sun  was  beginning  to  sink, 
George  set  out  for  home.  How  happy  he 
felt,  then,  that  he  had  all  his  strawberries  for 
his  sick  mother.  The  nearer  he  came  to  his 
home,  the  less  he  wished  to  taste  them. 

12.  Just  as  he  had  thrown  down  his  wood, 
he  heard  his  mother's  faint  voice  calling  him 
from  the  next  room.  "  Is  that  you,  George  ? 
I  am  glad  you  have  come,  for  I  am  thirsty, 
and  am  longing  for  some  tea." 

13.  George  ran  in  to  her,  and  joyfully 
offered  his  wild  strawberries.  "And  you 
saved  them  for  your  sick  mother,  did  you?" 
said  she,  laying  her  hand  fondly  on  his  head, 
while  the  tears  stood  in  her  eyes.  "God 
will  bless  you  for  all  this,   my  child." 

14.  Could  the  eating  of  the  strawberries 
have  given  George  half  the  happiness  he 
felt  at  this  moment? 


90  ECLECTIC  SEBIES. 


LESSON 

XXXV. 

hallow 

a  men' 

temp  ta'tion 

gra'  cious 

king'dom 

for  give' 

trans  grSs'sion§ 

sup  plied' 

por'tion 

boun'ty 

weak'ness 

hglp'less 

deign 

solemn 

eom  pas'sion 

plum'age 

re  vere' 

se  eure' 

for  eVer 

par'dong 

THE     LORD  S    PRAYER. 

Our  Father  in  heaven, 

We  hallow  thy  name; 
May  thy  kingdom  holy 

On  earth  be  the  same ; 
Oh,  give  to  us  daily 

Our  portion  of  bread; 
It  is  from  thy  bounty, 

That  all  must  be  fed. 


Forgive  our  transgressions, 

And  teach  us  to  know 
The  humble  compassion 

That  pardons  each  foe; 
Keep  us  from  temptation, 

From  weakness  and  sin, 
And  thine  be  the  glory 

Forever !     Amen ! 


THIRD  READER.  91 


AN   EVENING   PRAYER. 
I. 

QmxL  (hjjvrb  a  luXjaXeAA  cAaXcL  by  huJ^i 
VJ\Xh  ihnj  \VuyXji/$A/Yiq  cxxAju, 

a. 
oKowqh  ^iPou/Yia  W  fwujjit>, <$  \wj\r>  vu/yu  bwuafaL 

dhnj  rxxwmi  by  by\H>  ojyuL  \aah> ; 
0|  X)om,  by  VKamA,  wilh  AobunvYb  ihj&wahl-, 

Shm  ao-o-d/yuA^  by  AsuihtlXJb. 

3. 
3hxxL  a^ytyd/YuAb  oaamA  zxi/Jh  AA/mJfibb lloimJb 

ob>  AcemX  amA>  t<MAApu,byo'; 
QmAj\ujih  \L  VYb  ryu/^nXb  duoJxksibb  hjyyJb 

li/tlA/  WsMAHffib  hJbj/XJLhh/JYUX  djLW, 

u. 

ovjl  blXlsb  vxhAb  ihjxL  hAsrux  all  da/u- 

Snn,  rwcuruu  a,  hhapu  uro-o-d , 
To'U  thsub  oAsl  ohyXhjLAj  i/ru  \\lairy\jaxisb  (WW, 


92 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


5. 

73 'U  Vnjuu  jpA&tsAlsuL  Mill, 

^■uJoAsb  purm,  <AHhf\j[  ill. 

b. 

3$wJ$  irxjop^X^huQUj  cyuuxAxL  wWk,  oAxx/iiovib  oJvm, 

G/yuL  hmJf[j  cu  child  pimn  -wmAaj  faaAmb 

T3oi  VrjJY\Jb  &UTY1  WXXLcKli/il  -UXJUb  . 


Ber 

"tiard  Barton 

LESSON 

XXXVI. 

pos  ses'sion 

tor'ment 

sug  gest'ed 

ob  served' 

sat  is  fae'tion 

thief 

anx  i'e  ty 

f  i'nal  ly 

bur'y  ing  (beV-) 

eon'scioiis 

erit'ie  al 

breath'less 

ex  pe'ri  enced 

re  sponse' 

eVi  dent 

in  ter  fered' 

FINDING   THE    OWNER. 


1.  "It's  mine,"  said  Fred,  showing  a  white- 
handled  pocketknife,  with  every  blade  per- 
fect   and    shining.      "  Just   what    I  've   always 


THIRD  READER. 


93 


wanted."     And  he  turned  the  prize  over  and 
over  with  evident  satisfaction. 

2.    "I    guess    I    know    who    owns    it,"    said 
Tom,  looking  at  it  with  a  critical  eye. 


3.  "I  guess  you  don't,"  was  the  quick  re- 
sponse. "It  isn't  Mr.  Raymond's,"  said  Fred, 
shooting  wide  of  the  mark. 

4.  "I  know  that;  Mr.  Raymond's  is  twice 
as  large,"  observed  Tom,  going  on  with  his 
drawing  lesson. 

5.  Do  you  suppose  Fred  took  any  comfort 
in  that  knife?  Not  a  bit  of  comfort  did 
he  take.  He  was  conscious  all  the  time  of 
having  something   in  his   possession  that   did 


94  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

not  belong  to   him;    and   Tom's  suspicion   in- 
terfered sadly   with   his   enjoyment. 

6.  Finally,  it  became  such  a  torment  to 
him,  that  he  had  serious  thoughts  of  burn- 
ing it,  or  burying  it,  or  giving  it  away;  but 
a   better  plan   suggested  itself. 

7.  "Tom,"  said  he,  one  day  at  recess, 
"didn't  you  say  you  thought  you  knew  who 
owned  that   knife   I   found?" 

8.  "Yes,  I  did;  it  looked  like  Doctor  Per- 
ry's." And  Tom  ran  off  to  his  play,  without 
giving  the   knife   another   thought. 

9.  Dr.  Perry's !  Why,  Fred  would  have 
time  to  go  to  the  doctor's  office  before  re- 
cess closed :  so  he  started  in  haste,  and  found 
the  old  gentleman  getting  ready  to  visit  a 
patient.  "Is  this  yours?"  cried  Fred,  in 
breathless  haste,  holding  up  the  cause  of  a 
week's    anxiety. 

10.  "It  was,"  said  the  doctor;  "but  I  lost 
it  the   other  day." 

11.  "  I  found  it,"  said  Fred,  "  and  have 
felt  like  a  thief  ever  since.  Here,  take  it; 
I've   got    to   run." 

12.  "Hold  on!"  said  the  doctor.  "I've 
got  a  new  one,  and  you  are  quite  welcome 
to   this." 


THIRD  READER. 


95 


13.  "Am  I?  May  I?  Oh!  thank  you!" 
And  with  what  a  different  feeling  he  kept  it 
from  that  which  he  had  experienced  for  a  week ! 


LESSON    XXXVII. 

im  me'di  ate 

iy 

en  eoun'tered 

ehaVae  ter 
squeal 

w3^'    : :  -*         '^k 

pre  pared' 
pol'i  cy 

snapped 

prowling 

shunned 

*"i  ' 

J^BHk^^ 

dou'ble 

quillg 

^'^0^0^^m^^ 

in'seet 

ter'ri  bly 

>  ' 

de  vour' 

ereVic  eg 

es  eape' 

frame'work  nlght'mare         disgust'ing  quad'ruped 


BATS. 

1.  Bats  are  very  strange  little  animals, 
having  hair  like  mice,  and  wings  like  birds. 
During  the  day,  they  live  in  crevices  of  rocks, 
in  caves,  and  in  other  dark  places. 

2.  At  night,  they  go  forth  in  search  of 
food;  and,  no  doubt,  you  have  seen  them  fly- 


96  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

ing    about,    catching    such    insects    as    happen 
to   be   out   rather  late   at    night. 

3.  The  wings  of  a  bat  have  no  quills.  They 
are  only  thin  pieces  of  skin  stretched  upon 
a  framework  of  bones.  Besides  this,  it  may 
be  said  that  while  he  is  a  quadruped,  he  can 
rise  into  the  air  and  fly  from  place  to  place 
like  a  bird. 

4.  There  is  a  funny  fable  about  the  bat, 
founded  upon  this  double  character  of  beast 
and    bird,    which  I   will   tell   you. 

5.  An  owl  was  once  prowling  about,  when 
he  came  across  a  bat.  So  he  caught  him  in 
his  claws,  and  was  about  to  devour  him. 
Upon  this,  the  bat  began  to  squeal  terribly; 
and  he  said  to  the  owl,  "  Pray,  what  do  you 
take    me    for,    that   you   use   me   thus  ? " 

6.  "Why,  you  are  a  bird,  to  be  sure,"  said 
the  owl,  "  and  I  am  fond  of  birds.  I  love 
dearly  to   break   their   little    bones." 

7.  "Well,"  said  the  bat,  "I  thought  there 
was  some  mistake.  I  am  no  bird.  Don't 
you  see,  Mr.  Owl,  that  I  have  nc  feathers, 
and  that  I  am  covered  with  hair  like  a 
mouse?" 

8.  "  Sure  enough,"  said  the  owl,  in  great 
surprise;  "I  see  it  now.     Really,  I  took  you 


THIRD   READER. 


97 


for  a  bird,  but  it  appears  you  are  only  a  kind 
of  mouse.  I  ate  a  mouse  last  night,  and  it 
gave  me  the  nightmare.  I  can't  bear  mice! 
Bah!   it  makes  me  sick   to  think  of  it."     So 


the  owl  let  the  bat  go. 


9.  The  very  next  night,  the  bat  encoun- 
tered another  danger.  He  was  snapped  up 
by  puss,  who  took  him  for  a  mouse,  and  im- 
mediately prepared  to  eat  him. 

10.  "I  beg  you  to  stop  one  moment,"  said 
the  bat.  "Pray,  Miss  Puss,  what  do  you 
suppose  I  am?"  "A  mouse,  to  be  sure!" 
said  the  cat.  "  Not  at  all,"  said  the  bat, 
spreading  his  long  wings. 

11.  "Sure  enough,"  said  the  cat:  "you 
seem  to  be  a   bird,   though  your  feathers  are 

3,  7.  '  ' 


98  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

not  very  fine.  I  eat  birds  sometimes,  but  I  am 
tired  of  them  just  now,  having  lately  devoured 
four  young  robins;  so  you  may  go.  But,  bird 
or  mouse,  it  will  be  your  best  policy  to  keep 
out   of  my   way   hereafter." 

12.  The  meaning  of  this  fable  is,  that  a 
person  playing  a  double  part  may  sometimes 
escape  danger;  but  he  is  always,  like  the  bat, 
a  creature  that  is  disgusting  to  everybody, 
and  shunned  by   all. 

&  O.  Goodrich — Adapted. 


LESSON    XXXVIII. 


tints 

sheave§           flre'flies            chim'ney 

tin'kle 

lawn§ 

whirl               but'ter  eup        low'ing 
A    SUMMER     DAY. 

lan9e 

1.  This  is  the  way  the  morning  dawns: 

Rosy  tints  on  flowers  and  trees, 
Winds  that  wake  the  birds  and  bees, 
Dewdrops    on  the  fields  and  lawns — 
This  is  the  way  the  morning  dawns. 

2.  This  is  the  way  the  sun  comes  up: 

Gold  on  brook  and  glossy  leaves, 


THIRD   READER. 


99 


Mist  that  melts  above  the  sheaves, 
Vine,  and  rose,  and  buttercup — 
This  is  the  way  the  sun  comes  up. 


3.  This  is  the  way  the  river  flows : 

Here  a  whirl,  and  there  a  dance ; 
Slowly  now,  then,  like  a  lance, 
Swiftly  to  the  sea  it  goes — 
This  is  the  way  the  river  flows. 


100 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


4.  This  is  the  way  the  rain  comes  down: 

Tinkle,  tinkle,  drop  by  drop, 
Over  roof  and  chimney  top ; 
Boughs  that  bend,  and  skies  that  frown- 
This  is  the  way  the  rain  comes  down. 

5.  This  is  the  way  the  birdie  sings : 

"Baby  birdies  in  the  nest, 
You  I  surely  love  the  best; 
Over  you  I  fold  my  wings  " — 
This  is  the  way  the  birdie  sings. 

6    This  is  the  way  the  daylight  dies: 
Cows  are  lowing  in  the  lane, 
Fireflies   wink  on  hill  and  plain; 
Yellow,  red,  and  purple  skies — 
This  is  the  way  the  daylight  dies. 

George  Cooper. 


THIRD  READER.  101 


LESSON    XXXIX. 

chan  de  lier'  P'i'sa  Lon'don  Fer'gu  son 

por' traits  I'saae  in  ven'tion  Gal  i  le'o 

pen'du  lilm  en'gine  whale'bone  lee'ture§ 

\6  eo  mo'tive  mot'to  Eng'land  (in'gland)  tea'kSt  tie 

dis  eov'ered  sway'ing  dis  eour'aged  im  proved' 

I     WILL    THINK     OF     IT. 

1.  "  I  will  think  of  it."  It  is  easy  to  say 
this;  but  do  you  know  what  great  things 
have   come   from    thinking? 

2.  We  can  not  see  our  thoughts,  or  hear, 
or  taste,  or  feel  them ;  and  yet  what  mighty 
power   they   have ! 

3.  Sir  Isaac  Newton  was  seated  in  his  gar- 
den on  a  summer's  evening,  when  he  saw  an 
apple  fall  from  a  tree.  He  began  to  think, 
and,  in  trying  to  find  out  why  the  apple  fell, 
discovered  how  the  earth,  sun,  moon,  and 
stars    are  kept  in  their  places. 

4.  A  boy  named  James  Watt  sat  quietly 
by  the  fireside,  watching  the  lid  of  the  tea- 
kettle as  it  moved  up  and  down.  He  began 
to  think;  he  wanted  to  find  out  why  the 
steam   in   the   kettle  moved   the  heavy  lid. 


102    . 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


5.  From  that 
time  he  went  on 
thinking,  and  think- 
ing; and  when  he 
became  a  man,  he 
improved  the  steam  engine  so  much  that  it 
could,  with  the  greatest  ease,  do  the  work  of 
many  horses. 

6.  When  you  see  a  steamboat,  a  steam 
mill,  or  a  locomotive,  remember  that  it  would 
never  have  been  built  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  hard  thinking  of  some  one. 

7.  A  man  named  Galileo  was  once  stand- 
ing in  the  cathedral  of  Pisa,  when  he  saw  a 
chandelier  swaying  to  and  fro. 


THIRD  READER.  103 

8.  This  set  him  thinking,  and  it  led  to  the 
invention  of   the  pendulum. 

9.  James  Ferguson  was  a  poor  Scotch  shep- 
herd boy.  Once,  seeing  the  inside  of  a  watch, 
he  was  filled  with  wonder.  "  Why  should  I 
not    make    a   watch?"   thought   he. 

10.  But  how  was  he  to  get  the  materials 
out  of  which  to  make  the  wheels  and  the 
mainspring?  He  soon  found  how  to  get 
them:  he  made  the  mainspring  out  of  a 
piece  of  whalebone.  He  then  made  a  wooden 
clock   which   kept   good    time. 

11.  He  began,  also,  to  copy  pictures  with 
a  pen,  and  portraits  with  oil  colors.  In  a  few 
years,  while  still  a  small  boy,  he  earned 
money   enough  to    support   his    father. 

12.  When  he  became  a  man,  he  went  to 
London  to  live.  Some  of  the  wisest  men  in 
England,  and  the  king  himself,  used  to  attend 
his  lectures.  His  motto  was,  "I  will  think 
of  it;"  and  he  made  his  thoughts  useful  to 
himself   and    the   world. 

13.  Boys,  when  you  have  a  difficult  les- 
son to  learn,  don't  feel  discouraged,  and  ask 
some  one  to  help  you  before  helping  your- 
selves. Think,  and  by  thinking  you  will 
learn  how   to    think    to   some    purpose. 


104  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

LESSON    XL. 

CHARLIE     AND      ROB. 

1.  "Don't  you  hate  splitting  wood?"  asked 
Charlie,  as  he  sat  down  on  a  log  to  hinder 
Rob   for    a   while. 

2.  "No,  I  rather  like  it.  When  I  get  hold 
of  a  tough  old  fellow,  I  say,  'See  here,  now, 
you  think  you're  the  stronger,  and  are  go- 
ing to  beat  me;  so  I'll  split  you  up  into 
kindling  wood.' " 

3.  "Pshaw!"  said  Charlie,  laughing;  "and 
it's   only   a   stick   of   wood." 

4.  "Yes;  but  you  see  I  pretend  it's  a  les- 
son, or  a  tough  job  of  any  kind,  and  it's  nice 
to   conquer   it." 

5.  "I  don't  want  to  conquer  such  things; 
I  don't  care  what  becomes  of  them.  I  wish 
I  were  a  man,    and  a   rich    one." 

6.  "Well,  Charlie,  if  you  live  long  enough 
you  '11  be  a  man,  without  wishing  for  it ; 
and  as  for  the  rich  part,  I  mean  to  be  that 
myself." 

7.  "You  do.  How  do  you  expect  to  get 
your   money?     By   sawing  wood?" 

8.  "May  be — some  of  it;  that's   as   good  a 


THIRD   READER. 


105 


way  as  any,  so  long  as  it  lasts.  I  don't  care 
how  I  get  rich,  you  know,  so  that  it's  in  an 
honest  and  useful  way." 

9.  "  I  'd  like  to  sleep  over  the  next  ten 
years,  and  wake  up  to  find  myself  a  young 
man  with  a  splendid  education  and  plenty  of 
money." 


106  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

10.  "Humph!  I  am  not  sleepy — a  night  at 
a  time  is  enough  for  me.  I  mean  to  work 
the  next  ten  years.  You  see  there  are  things 
that  you  've  got  to  work  out — you  can 't  sleep 
them    out." 

11.  "I  hate  work,"  said  Charlie,  "that  is, 
such  work  as  sawing  and  splitting  wood,  and 
doing  chores.  I  'd  like  to  do  some  big  work, 
like  being  a  clerk  in  a  bank  or  something  of 
that    sort." 

12.  "Wood  has  to  be  sawed  and  split  be- 
fore it  can  be  burned,"  said  Rob.  "I  don't 
know  but  I  '11  be  a  clerk  in  a  bank  some 
time;  I'm  working  towards  it.  I'm  keeping 
father's    accounts   for   him." 

13.  How  Charlie  laughed!  "I  should  think 
that  was  a  long  way  from  being  a  bank  clerk. 
I  suppose  your  father  sells  two  tables  and 
six   chairs,    some  days,   doesn't  he?" 

14.  "  Sometimes  more  than  that,  and  some- 
times not  so  much,"  said  Rob,  in  perfect 
good    humor. 

15.  "  I  did  n't  say  I  was  a  bank  clerk  now. 
I  said  I  was  working  towards  it.  Am  I  not 
nearer  it  by  keeping  a  little  bit  of  a  book 
than  I  should  be  if  I  didn't  keep  any  book 
at    all?" 


THIRD  READER.  107 

16.  "Not  a  whit  —  such  things  happen" 
said    Charlie,    as    he    started   to   go. 

17.  Now,  which  of  these  boys,  do  you 
think,  grew  up  to  be  a  rich  and  useful  man, 
and  which  of  them  joined  a  party  of  tramps 
before    he    was    thirty   years    old? 

Definitions. — 1.  Hin'der,  interrupt,  prevent  from  working. 
4.  Con'quer,  overcome,  master.  9.  Splen'did,  very  fine,  com- 
plete. Eduea'tion,  acquired  knowledge.  11.  Choreg,  the  light 
work  about  a  house  or  yard. 


LESSON    XLI. 

RAY     AND     HIS     KITE. 

1.  Ray  was  thought  to  be  an  odd  boy.  You 
will  think  him  so,  too,  when  you  have  read 
this  story. 

2.  Ray  liked  well  enough  to  play  with  the 
boys  at  school;  yet  he  liked  better  to  be 
alone  under  the  shade  of  some  tree,  reading 
a  fairy  tale  or  dreaming  daydreams.  But 
there  was  one  sport  that  he  liked  as  well 
as    his    companions ;    that    was    kiteflying, 

3.  One  day  when  he  was  flying  his  kite, 
he  said,  to  himself,  "  I  wonder  if  anybody 
ever   tried   to  fly    a  kite  at   night.     It  seems 


108 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


to  me  it  would  be  nice.  But  then,  if  it 
were  very  dark,  the  kite  could  not  be  seen. 
What  if  I  should  fasten  a  light  to  it,  though? 
That  would  make 
it  show.  I'll  try  it 
this  very  night." 

4.  As  soon  as  it 
was    dark,    without 


saying  a  word  to 
anybody,  he  took 
his  kite  and  lan- 
tern, and  went  to 
a  large,  open  lot, 
about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  his 
home.  "Well,' 
thought  he,  "this 
is  queer.  How 
lonely  and  still  it  seems  without  any  other 
boys  around!  But  I  am  going  to  fly  my 
kite,  anyway." 

5.  So  he  tied  the  lantern,  which  was  made 
of  tin  punched  full  of  small  holes,  to  the  tail 
of  his  kite.      Then  he  pitched   the   kite,  and, 


THIRD  READER.  109 

after  several  attempts,  succeeded  in  making 
it  rise.  Up  it  went,  higher  and  higher,  as 
Ray  let  out  the  string.  When  the  string- 
was  all  unwound,  he  tied  it  to  a  fence;  and 
then  he  stood  and  gazed  at  his  kite  as  it 
floated   high   up   in    the   air. 

6.  While  Ray  was  enjoying  his  sport,  some 
people  who  were  out  on  the  street  in  the  vil- 
lage, saw  a  strange  light  in  the  sky.  They 
gathered  in  groups  to  watch  it.  Now  it  was 
still  for  a  few  seconds,  then  it  seemed  to  be 
jumping  up  and  down ;  then  it  made  long 
sweeps   back   and   forth   through    the    air. 

7.  "What  can  it  be?"  said  one  person. 
"How  strange!"  said  another.  "It  can  not 
be  a  comet;  for  comets  have  tails,"  said 
a  third.  "Perhaps  it's  a  big  firefly,"  said 
another. 

8.  At  last  some  of  the  men  determined 
to  find  out  what  this  strange  light  was — 
whether  it  was  a  hobgoblin  dancing  in  the 
air,  or  something  dropped  from  the  sky. 
So  off  they  started  to  get  as  near  it  as  they 
could. 

9.  While  this  was  taking  place,  Ray,  who 
had  got  tired  of  standing,  was  seated  in  a 
fence    corner,    behind    a    tree.     He    could    see 


110  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

the    men    as    they    approached;    but  they   did 
not   see    him. 

10.  When  they  were  directly  under  the 
light,  and  saw  what  it  was,  they  looked  at 
each  other,  laughing,  and  said,  "  This  is  some 
boy's  trick ;  and  it  has  fooled  us  nicely.  Let 
us  keep  the  secret,  and  have  our  share  of 
the  joke." 

11.  Then  they  laughed  again,  and  went 
back  to  the  village  ;  and  some  of  the  simple 
people  there  have  not  yet  found  out  what 
that    strange    light   was. 

12.  When  the  men  had  gone,  Ray  thought 
it  was  time  for  him  to  go  ;  so  he  wound  up 
his  string,  picked  up  his  kite  and  lantern, 
and  went  home.  His  mother  had  been  won- 
dering  what   had   become   of  him. 

13.  When  she  heard  what  he  had  been 
doing,  she  hardly  knew  whether  to  laugh  or 
scold ;  but  I  think  she  laughed,  and  told  him 
that   it   was   time   for   him  to   go    to   bed. 

Definitions. — 2.  Day'dreams,  vain  fancies.  Com  pan'- 
iong,  playmates,  friends.  5.  At  tempts',  trials,  efforts.  6. 
Groups,  several  together,  small  assemblages.  Sweeps,  rapid 
movements  in  the  line  of  a  curve.  7.  Com'et,  a  brilliant  heav- 
enly body  ivith  a  long,  fiery  tail.  8.  De  ter'rained,  concluded, 
resolved.     Hob'gob  lin,  an  ugly  fairy  or  imp. 


THIRD  READER.  Ill 

LESSON    XLII. 

BEWARE     OF     THE     FIRST     DRINK. 

1.  "Uncle  Philip,  as  the  day  is  finQ,  will 
you   take    a   walk   with  us    this   morning?" 

2.  "  Yes,  boys.  Let  me  get  my  hat  and 
cane,  and  we  will  take  a  ramble.  I  will  tell 
you  a  story  as  we  go.  Do  you  know  poor 
old   Tom   Smith?" 

3.  "  Know  him  !  Why,  Uncle  Philip,  every- 
body knows  him.  He  is  such  a  shocking- 
drunkard,    and    swears    so   horribly." 

4.  "Well,  I  have  known  him  ever  since  we 
were  boys  together.  There  was  not  a  more 
decent,  well-behaved  boy  among  us.  After 
he  left  school,  his  father  died,  and  he  was 
put  into  a  store  in  the  city.  There,  he  fell 
into  bad   company. 

5.  "  Instead  of  spending  his  evenings  in 
reading,  he  would  go  to  the  theater  and  to 
balls.  He  soon  learned  to  play  cards,  and  of 
course  to  play  for  money.  He  lost  more 
than   he   could   pay. 

6.  "  He  wrote  to  his  poor  mother,  and  told 
her  his  losses.  She  sent  him  money  to  pay 
his    debts,  and  told    him  to   come  home. 


112  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

7.  "He  did  come  home.  After  all,  he 
might  still  have  been  useful  and  happy,  for 
his  friends  were  willing  to  forgive  the  past. 
For  a  time,  things  went  on  well.  He  mar- 
ried a.  lovely  woman,  gave  up  his  bad  habits, 
and  was  doing   well. 

8.  "But  one  thing,  boys,  ruined  him  for- 
ever. In  the  city,  he  had  learned  to  take 
strong  drink,  and  he  said  to  me  once,  that 
when  a  man  begins  to  drink,  he  never  knows 
where  it  will  end.  '  Therefore,'  said  Tom, 
'  beware  of  the  first  drink ! ' 

9.  "It  was  not  long  before  he  began  to 
follow  his  old  habit.  He  knew  the  danger, 
but  it  seemed  as  if  he  could  not  resist  his 
desire  to  drink.  His  poor  mother  soon  died 
of  grief  and  shame.  His  lovely  wife  followed 
her   to   the   grave. 

10.  "He  lost  the  respect  of  all,  went  on 
from  bad  to  worse,  and  has  long  been  a  per- 
fect sot.  Last  night,  I  had  a  letter  from 
the  city,  stating  that  Tom  Smith  had  been 
found  guilty  of  stealing,  and  sent  to  the 
state  prison   for   ten   years. 

11.  "There  I  suppose  he  will  die,  for  he 
is  now  old.  It  is  dreadful  to  think  to  what 
an  end  he  has  come.     I   could  not  but  think, 


THIRD  READER. 


113 


as  I  read  the  letter,  of  what  he  said  to  me 
years  ago,  '  Beware  of  the  first  drink ! ' 

12.   "Ah,    my   dear   boys,    when   old    Uncle 
Philip   is   gone,    remember   that   he   told   you 


the  story  of  Tom  Smith,  and  said  to  you, 
'  Beware  of  the  first  drink ! '  The  man  who 
does  this  will  never  be  a  drunkard." 


Definitions. — 3.  HSr'ri  bly,  in  a  dreadful  manner,  terri- 
bly. 4.  Decent,  modest,  respectable.  9.  Re  gist',  withstaiuL, 
overcome.  10.  SSt,  an  habitual  drunkard.  Guilt'y,  justly 
chargeable  with  a  crime. 

3,8. 


114  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

LESSON    XLIII. 

SPEAK     GENTLY. 

1.  Speak  gently;  it  is  better  far 

To  rule  by  love  than  fear : 
Speak  gently;  let  no  harsh  words  mar 
The  good  we  might  do  here. 

2.  Speak  gently  to  the  little  child; 

Its  love  be  sure  to  gain ; 
Teach  it  in  accents  soft  and  mild; 
It  may  not  long  remain. 

3.  Speak  gently  to  the  aged  one; 

Grieve  not  the  careworn  heart: 
The  sands  of  life  are  nearly  run; 
Let  such  in  peace  depart. 

4.  Speak  gently,  kindly,  to  the  poor; 

Let  no  harsh  tone  be  heard; 
They  have  enough  they  must  endure, 
Without  an  unkind  word. 

5.  Speak  gently  to  the  erring;  know 

They  must  have  toiled  in  vain ; 
Perhaps  unkindness  made  them  so ; 
Oh,  win  them  back  again. 


THIRD    READER.  115 

6.  Speak  gently:  'tis  a  little  thing 

Dropped  in  the  heart's  deep  well; 
The  good,  the  joy,  which  it  may  bring, 
Eternity  shall  tell. 

David  Bates. 

Definitions. — 1.  Mar,  injure,  hurt.  2.  Accents,  lan- 
guage, tones.  4.  Endure',  bear,  suffer.  5.  Err'ing  (eV-), 
sinning.     6.  E  ter'ni  ty,  the  endless  hereafter,  the  future. 


LESSON    XLIV. 

THE     SEVEN     STICKS. 

1.  A  man  had  seven  sons,  who  were  always 
quarreling.  They  left  their  studies  and  work, 
to  quarrel  among  themselves.  Some  bad  men 
were  looking  forward  to  the  death  of  their 
father,  to  cheat  them  out  of  their  property 
by  making  them    quarrel   about   it. 

2.  The  good  old  man,  one  day,  called  his 
sons  around  him.  He  laid  before  them  seven 
sticks,  which  were  bound  together.  He  said, 
"  I  will  pay  a  hundred  dollars  to  the  one 
who  can  break  this    bundle." 

3.  Each  one  strained  every  nerve  to  break 
the  bundle.  After  a  long  but  vain  trial,  they 
all   said   that   it    could    not   be    done. 


lib 


ECLECTIC   SERIES. 


4.  "And  yet,  my  boys,"  said  the  father, 
"nothing  is  easier  to  do."  He  then  untied 
the  bundle,  and  broke  the  sticks,  one  by  one, 
with  perfect  ease. 


5.  "Ah!"  said  his  sons,  "it  is  easy  enough 
to  do  it  so;  anybody  could  do  it  in  that 
way." 

6.  Their  father  replied,  "  As  it  is  with 
these  sticks,  so  is  it  with  you,  my  sons.     So 


THIRD   READER.  117 

long  as  you  hold  fast  together  and  aid  each 
other,  you  will  prosper,  and  none  can  injure 
you. 

7.  "But  if  the  bond  of  union  be  broken, 
it  will  happen  to  you  just  as  it  has  to 
these  sticks,  which  lie  here  broken  on  the 
ground." 

Home,  city,  country,  all  are  prosperous  found, 
When  by  the  powerful  link  of  union  bound. 

Definitions. — 1.  Cheat,'  deceive,  wrong.  Prop'er  ty,  that 
which  one  owns — whether  land,  goods,  or  money.  2.  Bun'dle, 
a  number  of  things  bound  together.  3.  Nerve,  sinew,  muscle. 
6.  Pros'per,  succeed,  do  well.  7.  Un'ion  (un'yun),  the  state 
of  being  joined  or  united. 


LESSON    XLV. 

THE     MOUNTAIN     SISTEK. 

1.  The  home  of  little  Jeannette  is  far  away, 
high  up  among  the  mountains.  Let  us  call 
her   our   mountain   sister. 

2.  There  are  many  things  you  would  like 
to  hear  about  her,  but  I  can  only  tell  you 
now  how  she  goes  with  her  father  and 
brother,  in  the  autumn,  to  help  gather  nuts 
for   the    long   winter. 


118 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


3.  A  little  way  down  the  mountain  side  is 
a  chestnut  wood.  Did  you  ever  see  a  chest- 
nut tree  ?  In 
spring  its 
branches  are 
covered  with 
bunches       of 


creamy  flow- 
ers, like  long- 
tassels.  All 
the  hot  sum- 
mer these  are 
turning  into  sweet  nuts,  wrapped  safely  in 
large,  prickly,  green  balls. 

4.  But  when  the  frost  of  autumn  comes, 
these  prickly  balls  turn  brown,  and  crack 
open.  Then  you  may  see  inside  one,  two, 
three,  and  even  four,  sweet,  brown  nuts. 

5.  When  her  father  says,  one  night  at  sup- 
per time,  "  I  think  there  will  be  a  frost  to- 
night," Jeannette  knows  very  well  what  to  do. 
She  dances  away  early  in  the  evening  to  her 
little  bed,  made  in  a  box  built  up  against  the 
wall. 

6.  Soon    she    falls    asleep    to    dream    about 


THIRD  READER.  119 

the  chestnut  wood,  and  the  little  brook  that 
springs  from  rock  to  rock  down  under  the 
tall,  dark  trees.  She  wakes  with  the  first 
daylight,  and  is  out  of  bed  in  a  minute, 
when  she  hears  her  father's  cheerful  call, 
"Come,    children;    it   is    time    to   be   off." 

7.  Their  dinner  is  ready  in  a  large  basket. 
The  donkey  stands  before  the  door  with 
great  bags  for  the  nuts  hanging  at  each  side. 
They  go  merrily  over  the  crisp,  white  frost 
to  the  chestnut  trees.  How  the  frost  has 
opened  the  burs!  It  has  done  half  their 
work   for   them    already. 

8.  How  they  laugh  and  sing,  and  shout 
to  each  other  as  they  fill  their  baskets!  The 
sun  looks  down  through  the  yellow  leaves; 
the  rocks  give  them  mossy  seats;  the  birds 
and  squirrels  wonder  what  these  strange  peo- 
ple are  doing  in  their  woods. 

9.  Jeannette  really  helps,  though  she  is 
only  a  little  girl ;  and  her  father  says  at 
night,  that  his  Jane  is  a  dear,  good  child. 
This  makes  her  very  happy.  She  thinks 
about  it  at  night,  when  she  says  her  prayers. 
Then  she  goes  to  sleep  to  dream  of  the 
merry   autumn    days. 

10.  Such  is  our   little   mountain  sister,   and 


120 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


here  is  a  picture  of  her  far-away  home.     The 
mountain  life  is  ever  a  fresh  and  happy  one. 

Definitions. — 3.  Ch&t'nut  (chSs'nut),  a  tree  valuable  for 
its  timber  and  its  fruit.  Tas'selg,  hanging  ornaments,  such  as 
are  used  on  curtains.  Wrapped  (r&pt),  completely  covered  up, 
inclosed.  Prick'ly,  covered  ivith  sharp  points.  7.  Crisp,  brit- 
tle, sparkling.      Burg,    the  rough  coverings  of  seeds  or  nuts. 


THIRD  READER.  121 


LESSON    XLVI. 


HARRY    AND    THE     GUIDEPOST. 

1.  The  night  was  dark,  the  sun  was  hid 

Beneath  the  mountain  gray, 
And  not  a  single  star  appeared 
To  shoot  a  silver  ray. 

2.  Across  the  heath  the  owlet  flew, 

And  screamed  along  the  blast; 
And  onward,  with  a  quickened  step, 
Benighted  Harry  passed. 

3.  Now,  in  thickest  darkness  plunged, 

He  groped  his  way  to  find; 
And  now,  he  thought  he  saw  beyond, 
A  form  of  horrid  kind. 

4.  In  deadly  white  it  upward  rose, 

Of  cloak  and  mantle  bare, 
And  held  its  naked  arms  across, 
To  catch  him  by  the  hair. 

5.  Poor  Harry  felt  his  blood  run  cold, 

At  what  before  him  stood ; 
But  then,  thought  he,  no  harm,  I'm  sure, 
Can  happen  to  the  good. 


122 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


6.  So,  calling  all  his  cour- 
age up, 
He  to  the  monster  went; 
And    eager    through    the 
dismal  gloom 
His  piercing  eyes  he  bent. 


7.  And  when  he  came  well  nigh  the  ghost 
That  gave  him  such  affright, 
He  clapped  his  hands  upon  his  side, 
And  loudly  laughed  outright. 


8.  For  'twas  a  friendly  guidepost  stood, 
His  wandering  steps  to  guide; 
And  thus  he  found  that  to  the  good, 
No  evil  could  betide. 


THIRD   READER.  123 

9.  Ah  well,  thought  he,  one  thing  I  've  learned, 

Nor  shall  I  soon  forget; 
Whatever  frightens  me  again, 
I  '11  march  straight  up  to  it. 

10.  And  when  I  hear  an  idle  tale, 

Of  monster  or  of  ghost, 
I  '11  tell  of  this,  my  lonely  walk, 
And  one  tall,  white  guidepost. 


Definitions. — 2.  Heath,  a  place  overgrown  with  shrubs. 
Be  mght'ed,  overtaken  by  the  night.  3.  Groped,  felt  his  way 
in  the  dark.  Hor'rid,  hideous,  frightful.  6.  Mon'ster,  a 
thing  of  unnatural  size  and  shape.  Dig'mal,  dark,  cheerless. 
Pier'cing,  sharp,  penetrating.  7.  Ghost  (gost),  a  frightful 
object  in  white,  an  apparition.  8.  Gulde'post,  a  post  and 
sign  set  up  at  the  forks  of  a  road  to  direct  travelers.  Be  tide', 
befall,  happen.     10.  I'dle,  of  no  account,  foolish. 


LESSON    XLVII. 

THE   MONEY   AMY   DIDN'T   EARN. 

1.  Amy  was  a  dear  little  girl,  but  she  was 
too  apt  to  waste  time  in  getting  ready  to  do 
her  tasks,  instead  of  doing  them  at  once  as 
she   ought. 


124  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

2.  In  the  village  in  which  she  lived,  Mr. 
Thornton  kept  a  store  where  he  sold  fruit  of 
all  kinds,  including  berries  in  their  season. 
One  day  he  said  to  Amy,  whose  parents  were 
quite  poor,  "Would  you  like  to  earn  some 
money?  " 

3.  "Oh,  yes,"  replied  she,  "for  I  want 
some  new  shoes,  and  papa  has  no  money  to 
buy   them  with." 

4.  "Well,  Amy,"  said  Mr.  Thornton,  "I 
noticed  some  fine,  ripe  blackberries  in  Mr. 
Green's  pasture  to-day,  and  he  said  that  any- 
body was  welcome  to  them.  I  will  pay  you 
thirteen  cents  a  quart  for  all  you  will  pick 
for    me." 

5.  Amy  was  delighted  at  the  thought  of 
earning  some  money;  so  she  ran  home  to  get 
a  basket,  intending  to  go  immediately  to  pick 
the   berries. 

6.  Then  she  thought  she  would  like  to 
know  how  much  money  she  would  get  if  she 
picked  five  quarts.  With  the  help  of  her 
slate  and  pencil,  she  found  out  that  she 
would    get   sixty-five   cents. 

7.  "But  supposing  I  should  pick  a  dozen 
quarts,"  thought  she,  "how  much  should  I 
earn  then?"     "Dear  me,"  she  said,    after  fig- 


THIRD  READER. 


125 


uring   a   while,  "I   should   earn   a   dollar  and 
fifty-six  cents." 

8.  Amy  then  found  out  what  Mr.  Thornton 
would  pay  her  for  fifty,  a  hundred,  and  two 
hundred    quarts.      It  took   her   some   time   to 


do  this,  and  then  it  was  so  near  dinner  time 

that  she  had  to  stay  at  home  until  afternoon. 

9.    As   soon   as   dinner   was   over,   she   took 


126  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

her  basket  and  hurried  to  the  pasture.  Some 
boys  had  been  there  before  dinner,  and  all 
the  ripe  berries  were  picked.  She  could 
not   find   enough    to    fill    a    quart    measure. 

10.  As  Amy  went  home,  she  thought  of 
what  her  teacher  had  often  told  her — "Do 
your  task  at  once;  then  think  about  it,"  for 
"one   doer  is   worth  a  hundred   dreamers." 

Definitions. — 1.  Tasks,  work  which  one  has  to  do.  2. 
Sea' son,  proper  time  of  the  year.  4.  Quart,  the  fourth  part 
of  a  gallon.  7.  Fig'ur  ing,  computing,  calculating.  9.  Hiir'- 
ried,  went  rapidly.     Mfiag'ure,  vessel. 


LESSON   XLVIII. 

WHO    MADE     THE     STARS? 

1.  "Mother,  who  made  the  stars,  which  light 

The  beautiful  blue  sky? 
Who  made  the  moon,  so  clear  and  bright, 
That  rises  up  so  high?" 

2.  "Twas  God,  ray  child,  the  Glorious  One, 

He  formed  them  by  his  power; 
He  made  alike  the  brilliant  sun, 
And  every  leaf  and  flower. 


THIRD  READER.  127 

3.  "  He  made  your  little  feet  to  walk; 
Your  sparkling  eyes  to  see; 
Your  busy,  prattling  tongue  to  talk, 
And  limbs  so  light  and  free. 

4  "He  paints  each  fragrant  flower  that  blows. 
With  loveliness  and  bloom ; 
He  gives  the  violet  and  the  rose 
Their  beauty  and  perfume. 

5.  "Our  various  wants  his  hands  supply; 

He  guides  us  every  hour; 
We're  kept  beneath  his  watchful  eye, 
And  guarded  by  his  power. 

6.  "Then  let  your  little  heart,  my  love, 

Its  grateful  homage  pay 
To  that  kind  Friend,  who,  from  above, 
Thus  guides  you  every  day. 

7.  "In  all  the  changing  scenes  of  time, 

On  Him  our  hopes  depend ; 
In  every  age,  in  every  clime, 
Our  Father  and  our  Friend." 

Definitions. — 2.  Glo'rious,  excellent,  exalted.  3.  Prat'- 
tling,  talking  lightly  like  a  child.  4.  Blowg,  blossoms.  Per- 
fume', delightful  odor.  5.  Va'ri  otis,  many  and  different.  6. 
HSni'age,  respect.     7.  Sceneg,  events.     Clime,  climate,  region. 


128  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

LESSON    XLIX. 

DEEDS    OF    KINDNESS. 

1.  One  day,  as  two  little  boys  were  walking 
along  the  road,  they  overtook  a  woman  carry- 
ing a  large  basket  of  apples. 

2.  The  boys  thought  the  woman  looked 
very  pale  and  tired;  so  they  said,  "Are  you 
going  to  town?  If  you  are,  we  will  carry 
your   basket." 

3.  "Thank  you,"  replied  the  woman,  "you 
are  very  kind:  you  see  I  am  weak  and  ill." 
Then  she  told  them  that  she  was  a  widow, 
and   had   a  lame    son   to    support. 

4.  She  lived  in  a  cottage  three  miles  away, 
and  was  now  going  to  market  to  sell  the 
apples  which  grew  on  the  only  tree  in  her 
little  garden.  She  wanted  the  money  to  pay 
her    rent. 

5.  "  We  are  going  the  same  way  you  are," 
said  the  boys.  "Let  us  have  the  basket;" 
and  they  took  hold  of  it,  one  on  each  side, 
and    trudged   along  with   merry  hearts. 

6.  The  poor  widow  looked  glad,  and  said 
that  she  hoped  their  mother  would  not  be 
angry    with    them.      "Oh,    no,"    they    replied; 


THIRD   READER. 


129 


"our  mother  has  taught  us  to  be  kind  to 
everybody,  and  to  be  useful  in  any  way  that 
we  can." 

7.  She  then  offered  to  give  them  a  few  of 
the    ripest    apples    for    their    trouble.       "No, 


thank  you,"  said  they;    uwe  do  not  want  any 
pay  for  what  we  have  done." 

8.  When  the  widow  got  home,  she  told  her 
lame    son    what    had    happened    on    the    road, 


130  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

and   they   were   both   made   happier  that  day 
by   the   kindness   of   the   two   boys. 

9.  The  other  day,  I  saw  a  little  girl  step 
and  pick  up  a  piece  of  orange  peel,  which 
she  threw  into  the  gutter.  "I  wish  the  boys 
would  not  throw  orange  peel  on  the  side- 
walk," said  she.  "Some  one  may  tread  upon 
it,    and   fall." 

10.  "That  is  right,  my  dear,"  I  said.  "It 
is  a  little  thing  for  you  to  do  what  you  have 
done,  but  it  shows  that  you  have  a  thoughtful 
mind   and   a   feeling   heart." 

11.  Perhaps  some  may  say  that  these  are 
little  things.  So  they  are;  but  we  must  not 
wait  for  occasions  to  do  great  things.  We 
must   begin   with   little   labors   of  love. 

Definitions. — 3.  Wid'ow,  a  woman  whose  husband  is  dead. 
5.  Trudged,  walked.  9.  Giit'ter,  the  lower  ground  or  channel 
along  the  side  of  a  road.  Tread,  step.  11.  Oe  ea'gioiig,  chances, 
opportunities. 

LESSON    L. 

THE    ALARM     CLOCK. 

1.  A  lady,  who  found  it  not  easy  to  wake 
in    the     morning     as     early    as    she    wished, 


THIRD  READER.  131 

bought  an  alarm  clock.  These  clocks  are 
so  made  as  to  strike  with  a  loud  whirring 
noise,  at  any  hour  the  owner  pleases  to  set 
them. 

2.  The  lady  placed  her  clock  at  the  head 
of  the  bed,  and  at  the  right  time  she  found 
herself  roused    by  the  long,   rattling  sound. 

3.  She  arose  at  once,  and  felt  better  all  day 
for  her  early  rising.  This  lasted  for  some 
weeks.  The  alarm  clock  faithfully  did  its 
duty,  and  was  plainly  heard  so  long  as  it 
was    obeyed. 

4.  But,  after  a  time,  the  lady  grew  tired 
of  early  rising.  When  she  was  waked  by 
the  noise,  she  merely  turned  over  in  bed, 
and    slept   again. 

5.  In  a  few  days,  the  clock  ceased  to  rouse 
her  from  her  sleep.  It  spoke  just  as  loudly 
as  ever;  but  she  did  not  hear  it,  because  she 
had   been    in    the   habit    of   not   obeying  it. 

6.  Finding  that  she  might  as  well  be  with- 
out it,  she  resolved  that  when  she  heard  the 
sound  she   would  jump    up. 

7.  Just  so  it  is  with  conscience.  If  we 
will  obey  its  voice,  even  in  the  most  trifling 
things,  we  can  always  hear  it,  clear  and 
strong. 


132  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

8.  But  if  we  allow  ourselves  to  do  what 
we  have  some  fears  may  not  be  quite  right, 
we  shall  grow  more  and  more  sleepy,  until 
the  voice  of  conscience  has  no  longer  power 
to   wake    us. 

Definitions. — 1.  Alarm',  a  sudden  sound  calculated  to 
awaken  persons  from  sleep.  "Whir'ring,  buzzing.  2.  Rouged, 
waked.  Rat'tling,  giving  quick,  sharp  noises  in  rapid  suc- 
cession. 3.  Faith'ful  ly,  in  an  exact  and  proper  manner. 
Du'ty,  the  right  conduct  or  action.  4.  Mere'ly,  simply.  7. 
Con'science  (kon'shens),  that  within  us  which  tells  what  is  right 
and  ivhat  is  xvrong,  reason.  Tri'fling,  of  little  importance  or 
value.     8.  Al  low',  permit,  suffer. 


LESSON    LI. 

SPEING. 

1.  The  alder  by  the  river 

Shakes  out  her  powdery  curls ; 
The  willow  buds  in  silver 
For  little  boys  and  girls. 

2.  The  little  birds  fly  over, 

And  oh,  how  sweet  they  sing! 
To  tell  the  happy  children 
That  once  again  'tis  Spring. 


THIRD  READER. 


133 


3.  The  gay  green  grass  comes  creeping 

So  soft  beneath  their  feet; 
The  frogs  begin  to  ripple 
A  music  clear  and  sweet. 

4.  And  buttercups  are  coming, 

And  scarlet  columbine, 
And  in  the  sunny  meadows 
The  dandelions  shine. 

5.  And  just  as  many  daisies 

As  their  soft  hands  can  hold, 
The  little  ones  may  gather, 
All  fair  in  white  and  gold. 


6.  Here  blows  the  warm  red  clover, 
There  peeps  the  violet  blue; 
Oh,  happy  little  children! 
God  made  them  all  for  you. 

Celia  Thaxter. 

Definitions. — 1.  Al'der  (al'-),  a  tree  which  grows  in  moist 
land.     3.  Rip'ple,  to  cause  little  waves  of  sound. 


134  ECLECTIC  SEBIES. 

LESSON    Lll. 

TRUE     COURAGE. 

One  cold  winter's  day,  three  boys  were 
passing  by  a  schoolhouse.  The  oldest  was 
a  bad  boy,  always  in  trouble  himself,  and 
trying  to  get  others  into  trouble.  The 
youngest,  whose  name  was  George,  was  a 
very   good    boy. 

George  wished  to  do  right,  but  was  very 
much  wanting  in  courage.  The  other  boys 
were  named  Henry  and  James.  As  they 
walked  along,   they   talked    as    follows: 

Henry.  What  fun  it  would  be  to  throw  a 
snowball  against  the  schoolroom  door,  and 
make   the   teacher   and   scholars   all  jump ! 

James.  You  would  jump,  if  you  should. 
If  the  teacher  did  not  catch  you  and  whip 
you,  he  would  tell  your  father,  and  you 
would  get  a  whipping  then;  and  that  would 
make  you  jump  higher  than  the  scholars,  I 
think. 

Henry.  Why,  we  would  get  so  far  off, 
before  the  teacher  could  come  to  the  door, 
that  he  could  not  tell  who  we  are.  Here  is 
a    snowball    just  as   hard    as    ice,   and   George 


THIRD  READER. 


135 


would  as  soon  throw  it  against  the  door  as 
not. 

James.  Give  it  to  him,  and  see.  He  would 
not  dare  to  throw  it. 

Henry.  Do  you  think  George  is  a  cow- 
ard?    You  do  not  know  him  as  well  as  I  do. 


Here,  George,  take  this  snowball,  and  show 
James  that  you  are  not  such  a  coward  as  he 
thinks  you  are. 

George.     I   am   not   afraid  to  throw  it;   but 
I    do    not    want   to.      I    do    not    see    that    it 


136  ECLECTIC  SEBIES. 

will  do  any  good,  or  that  there  will  be  any 
fun   in   it. 

James.  There!  I  told  you  he  would  not 
dare   to  throw    it. 

Henry.  Why,  George,  are  you  turning  cow- 
ard? I  thought  you  did  not  fear  anything. 
Come,  save  your  credit,  and  throw  it.  I 
know  you   are    not   afraid. 

George.  Well,  I  am  not  afraid  to  throw. 
Give  me  the  snowball.  I  would  as  soon 
throw   it   as   not. 

Whack!  went  the  snowball  against  the 
door;  and  the  boys  took  to  their  heels. 
Henry  was  laughing  as  heartily  as  he  could, 
to  think  what  a  fool  he  had  mad^  of  George. 

George  had  a  whipping  for  his  folly,  as 
he  ought  to  have  had.  He  was  such  a 
coward,  that  he  was  afraid  of  being  called  a 
coward.  He  did  not  dare  refuse  to  do  as 
Henry  told  him,  for  fear  that  he  would  be 
laughed   at. 

If  he  had  been  really  a  brave  boy,  he 
would  have  said,  "Henry,  do  you  suppose 
that  I  am  so  foolish  as  to  throw  that  snow- 
ball, just  because  you  want  to  have  me? 
You  may  throw  your  own  snowballs,  if  you 
please ! " 


THIRD    READER.  137 

Henry  would,  perhaps,  have  laughed  at 
him,   and   called    him   a   coward. 

But  George  would  have  said,  "Do  you 
think  that  I  care  for  your  laughing?  I  do 
not  think  it  right  to  throw  the  snowball.  I 
will  not  do  that  which  I  think  to  be  wrong, 
if  the  whole  town  should  join  with  you  in 
laughing." 

This  would  have  been  real  courage.  Henry 
would  have  seen,  at  once,  that  it  would 
do  no  good  to  laugh  at  a  boy  who  had 
so  bold  a  heart.  You  must  have  this  fear- 
less spirit,  or  you  will  get  into  trouble,  and 
will   be,   and  ought   to    be,    disliked   by   all. 

Definitions. — Sehol'arg,  children  at  school.  Whip'ping, 
punishment.  Dare,  have  courage.  Cred'it,  reputation.  Heart'i- 
ly,  freely,  merrily.  Re  fuse',  decline.  Fear'less,  bold,  brave. 
Disliked',  not  loved. 


LESSON    LIU. 

THE     OLD     CLOCK. 

1.  In  the  old,  old  hall  the  old  clock  stands, 

And  round  and  round  move  the  steady  hands ; 
With  its  tick,  tick,  tick,  both  night  and  day, 
"While  seconds  and  minutes  pass  away. 


138 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


2.  At  the  old,  old  clock  oft  wonders  Nell, 
For  she  can't  make  out  what  it  has  to  tell; 


She  has  ne'er  yet  read,  in  prose  or  rhyme, 
That  it  marks  the  silent  course  of  time. 

3.  When  I  was  a  child,  as  Nell  is  now, 

And  long  ere  Time  had  wrinkled  my  brow, 
The  old,  old  clock  both  by  night  and  by  day, 
Said, — "Tick,  tick,  tick!"  Time  passes  away. 


THIRD   READER.  139 

Definitions. — 2.  Prd§e,  the  common  language  of  men  in 
talking  or  writing,  Rhyme  (rime),  verse,  poetry.  3. 
Wrin'kled  (rin'kld),  Having  creases  or  folds  in  the  skin. 
Brow,  the  forehead. 


LESSON     LIV. 

THE     WAVES. 

1.  "Where  are  we  to  go?"  said  the  little 
waves   to   the   great,  deep   sea. 

"Go,  my  darlings,  to  the  yellow  sands:  you 
will   find   work   to   do  there." 

2.  "I  want  to  play,"  said  one  little  wave; 
"  I  want  to  see  who  can  jump  the   highest." 

"No;  come  on,  come  on,"  said  an  earnest 
wave;  "mother  must  be  right.  I  want  to 
work." 

3.  "  Oh,  I  dare  not  go,"  said  another ; 
"look  at  those  great,  black  rocks  close  to  the 
sands;  I  dare  not  go  there,  for  they  will 
tear   me   to  pieces." 

4.  "Take  my  hand,  sister,"  said  the  ear- 
nest wave;  "let  us  go  on  together.  How 
glorious    it    is   to   do   some   work." 

5.  "Shall   we  ever  ge  back  to  mother?" 
"  Yes,  when  our   work   is   done." 


140 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


6.  So  one  and  all  hurried  on.  Even  the 
little  wave  that  wanted  to  play,  pressed  on, 
and  thought  that  work  might  be  fun  after 
all.     The   timid   ones   did   not  like  to   be   left 


behind,  and  they  became  earnest  as  they  got 
nearer  the  sands. 

7.  After  all,  it  was  fun,  pressing  on  one 
after  another — jumping,  laughing,  running  on 
to  the  broad,  shining  sands. 

8.  First,  they  came  in  their  course  to  a 
great  sand  castle.        Splash,    splash !    they    all 


THIRD  READER.  141 

went  over  it,  and  down  it  came.     "Oh,  what 
fun!"  they  cried. 

9.  "Mother  told  me  to  bring  these  sea- 
weeds; I  will  find  a  pretty  place  for  them," 
said  one — and  she  ran  a  long  way  over  the 
sands,  and  left  them  among  the  pebbles.  The 
pebbles  cried,  "We  are  glad  you  are  come. 
We    wanted    washing." 

10.  "Mother  sent  these  shells;  I  don*t 
know  where  to  put  them,"  said  a  little  fretful 
wave.  "Lay  them  one  by  one  on  the  sand, 
and  do  not  break  them,"  said  the  eldest 
wave. 

11.  And  the  little  one  went  about  its  work, 
and  learned  to  be  quiet  and  gentle,  for  fear 
of  •  breaking    the    shells. 

12.  "Where  is  my  work?"  said  a  great, 
full-grown  wave.  "This  is  mere  play.  The 
little  ones  can  do  this  and  laugh  over  it. 
Mother  said  there  was  work  for  meT  And 
he   came   down  upon   some   large   rocks. 

13.  Over  the  rocks  and  into  a  pool  he 
went,  and  he  heard  the  fishes  say,  "The  sea 
is  coming.  Thank  you,  great  sea;  you  al- 
ways send  a  big  wave  when  a  storm  is  nigh. 
Thank  you,  kind  wave;  we  are  all  ready 
for   you    now." 


142  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

14.  Then  the  waves  all  went  back  over 
the  wet  sands,  slowly  and  carelessly,  for  they 
were   tired. 

15.  "All    my   shells    are    safe,"   said   one. 

16.  And,  "My  seaweeds  are  left  behind," 
said    another. 

17.  "I  washed  all  of  the  pebbles,"  said  a 
third. 

18.  "And  I — I  only  broke  on  a  rock,  and 
splashed  into  a  pool,"  said  the  one  that  was 
so  eager  to  work.  "1  havre  done  no  good, 
mother — no   work    at   all." 

19.  "Hush!"  said  the  sea.  And  they  heard 
a  child  that  was  walking  on  the  shore,  say, 
"0  mother,  the  sea  has  been  here!  Look, 
how  nice  and  clean  the  sand  is,  and  how 
clear   the  water  is    in   that   pool." 

20.  Then  the  sea  said,  "Hark!"  and  far 
away  they  heard  the  deep  moaning  of  the 
coming   storm 

21.  "Come,  my  darlings,"  said  she;  "you 
have  done  your  work,  now  let  the  storm  do 
its    work." 

Definitions. — 6.  Pressed,  pushed,  followed  closely.  Tim'id, 
wanting  courage,  not  bold.  10.  FrSt'ful,  cross,  peevish.  Eld'est, 
first,  foremost.  20.  Moan'ing,  making  a  loiv,  dull  sound,  mut- 
tering. 


THIRD  READER. 


143 


DON  T  KILL  THE  BIRDS. 

1.  Do  n't  kill  the  birds!     I  J- 
the  little  birds, 
.    That    sing    about  *^ 

your  door  ^ 

Soon  as  the  joyous 

Spring  has  come, 
And  chilling  storms  are  o'er. 

2.  The  little  birds !  how  sweet  they  sing ! 

Oh,  let  them  joyous  live; 
And  do  not  seek  to  take  the  life 
Which  you  can  never  give. 

3.  Do  n't  kill  the  birds !  the  pretty  birds, 

That  play  among  the  trees; 


144  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

For  earth  would  be  a  cheerless  place, 
If  it  were  not  for  these. 

4.  The  little  birds!  how  fond  they  play! 
Do  not  disturb  their  sport; 
But  let  them  warble  forth  their  songs, 
Till  winter  cuts  them  short. 

5.  Do  n't  kill  the-  birds  ?  the  happy  birds, 

That  bless  the  field  and  grove; 
So  innocent  to  look  upon, 
They  claim  our  warmest  love. 

6.  The  happy  birds,  the  tuneful  birds, 

How  pleasant  'tis  to  see! 
No  spot  can  be  a  cheerless  place 
Where'er  their  presence  be. 

Definitions. — 4.  Dis  tiirb',  interfere  with.  "War'ble,  to 
trill,  to  carol.  5.  In'no  cent,  pure,  harmless.  6.  Tune'ful, 
musical,  melodious.     Presence,  state  of  being  at  hand,  existence. 


LESSON    LVI. 

WHEN    TO    SAY    NO. 

1.  Though  "No"  is  a  very  little  word,  it 
is  not  always  easy  to  say  it;  and  the  not 
doing  so,  often  causes  trouble. 


THIRD  HEADER.  145 

2.  When  we  are  asked  to  stay  away  from 
school,  and  spend  in  idleness  or  mischief  the 
time  which  ought  to  be  spent  in  study,  we 
should   at  once   say   "No." 

3.  When  we  are  urged  to  loiter  on  our 
way  to  school,  and  thus  be  late,  and  interrupt 
our  teacher  and  the  school,  we  should  say 
"No."  When  some  schoolmate  wishes  us  to 
whisper  or  play  in  the  schoolroom,  we  should 
say  "No." 

4.  When  we  are  tempted  to  use  angry  or 
wicked  words,  we  should  remember  that  the 
eye  of  God  is  always  upon  us,  and  should 
say  "No." 

5.  When  we  have  done  anything  wrong, 
and  are  tempted  to  conceal  it  by  falsehood, 
we  should  say  "No,  we  can  not  tell  a  lie;  it 
is  wicked  and   cowardly." 

6.  If  we  are  asked  to  do  anything  which 
we  know  to  be  wrong,  we  should  not  fear  to 
say  "No." 

7.  If  we  thus  learn  to  say  "No,"  we  shall 
avoid   much   trouble,  and  be   always    safe. 

Definitions. — 1.  Caug'eg,  makes.  2.  I'dleness,  a  doing  noth- 
ing, laziness.  3.  Urged,  asked  repeatedly.  Loi'ter,  linger, 
delay.  In  ter  rupt',  disturb,  hinder.  4.  Tempt'ed,  led  by  evil 
circumstances.     5.  Con  ceal',  hide.     Falsehood,  untruth. 

3,  10. 


146 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    LVII. 

WHICH    LOVED    BEST? 

"  I  love  you,  mother/'  said  little  John ; 
Then,  forgetting  work,  his  cap  went  on, 
And  he  was  off  to  the  garden  swing, 
Leaving  his  mother  the  wood  to  bring. 


2.  "I  love  you,  mother,"  said  rosy  Nell; 

"I  love  you  better  than   tongue  can  tell;" 


THIRD  READER.  147 

Then  she  teased  and  pouted  full  half  the  day, 
Till  her  mother  rejoiced  when  she  went  to  play. 

3.  "  I  love  you,  mother,"  said  little  Fan ; 
"To-day  I'll  help  you  all  I  can; 

How  glad  I  am  that  school  doesn't  keep!" 
So  she  rocked  the   baby  till  it  fell  asleep. 

4.  Then,  stepping  softly,  she  took  the  broom, 
And  swept  the  floor,    and  dusted  the  room ; 
Busy  and  happy  all  day  was  she, 
Helpful  and  cheerful  as  child  could  be. 

5.  "I  love  you,  mother,"  again  they  said — 
Three  little  children  going  to  bed; 
How  do  you  think  that  mother  guessed 
Which  of  them  really  loved  her  best? 

Joy  Allison. 

LESSON    LVIII. 

JOHN     CARPENTER. 

1.  John  Carpenter  did  not  like  to  buy  toys 
that  somebody  else  had  made.  He  liked  the 
fun  of  making  them  himself.  The  thought 
that   they  were   his   own   work   delighted  him. 

2.  Tom  Austin,  one  of  his  playmates, 
thought  a  toy  was  worth  nothing  unless  it 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money.  He  never  tried 
to   make    anything,     but  bought   all   his  toys. 


148 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


3.  "Come  and  look  at  my  horse,"  said  he, 
one  day.  "It  cost  a  dollar,  and  it  is  such 
a  beauty !     Come  and  see  it." 

4.  John    was    soon    admiring    his    friend's 


horse;  and  he  was  examining  it  carefully,  to 
see  how  it  was  made.  The  same  evening  he 
began  to  make  one  for  himself. 

5.    He  went   into  the  wood  shed,  and   picked 


THIRD   READER.  149 

out  two  pieces  of  wood — one  for  the  head  of 
his  horse,  the  other  for  the  body.  It  took 
him  two  or  three  days  to  shape  them  to  his 
satisfaction. 

6.  His  father  gave  him  a  bit  of  red  leather 
for  a  bridle,  and  a  few  brass  nails,  and  his 
mother  found  a  bit  of  old  fur  with  which  he 
made    a   mane    and   tail    for    his    horse. 

7.  But  what  about  the  wheels  ?  This  puz- 
zled him.  At  last,  he  thought  he  would  go 
to  a  turner's  shop,  and  see  if  he  could  not 
get  some  round  pieces  of  wood  which  might 
suit  his  purpose. 

8.  He  found  a  large  number  of  such  pieces 
among  the  shavings  on  the  floor,  and  asked 
permission  to  take  a  few  of  them.  The  turner 
asked  him  what  he  wanted  them  for,  and  he 
told   him    about  his    horse. 

9.  "Oh,"  said  the  man,  laughing,  "if  you 
wish  it,  I  will  make  some  wheels  for  your 
horse.  But  mind,  when  it  is  finished,  you 
must   let  me    see   it." 

10.  John  promised  to  do  so,  and  he  soon 
ran  home  with  the  wheels  in  his  pocket. 
The  next  evening,  he  went  to  the  turner's 
shop  with  his  horse  all  complete,  and  was 
told  that  he  was  an  ingenious  little  fellow. 


150  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

11.  Proud  of  this  compliment,  he  ran  to 
his  friend  Tom,  crying,  "Now  then,  Tom, 
here   is  my  horse, — look!"' 

12.  ktWell,  that  is  a  funny  horse,"  said 
Tom;  ''where  did  you  buy  it?"  "1  didn't 
buy    it,"    replied  John ;    I   made    it." 

13.  "You  made  it  yourself!  Oh,  well,  it's 
a  good  horse  for  you  to  make.  But  it  is  not 
so  good  as  mine.  Mine  cost  a  dollar,  and 
yours   did  n't    cost    anything." 

•  14.  "It  was  real  fun  to  make  it,  though," 
said  John,  and  away  he  ran  with  his  horse 
rolling   after    him. 

15.  Do  you  want  to  know  what  became  of 
John?  Well,  I  will  tell  you.  He  studied 
hard  in  school,  and  was  called  the  best 
scholar  in  his  class.  When  he  left  school, 
he  went  to  work  in  a  machine  shop.  He  is 
now  a  master  workman,  and  will  soon  have  a 
shop  of  his  own. 

Definitions. — 4.  Ad  mir'ing,  looking  at  with  pleasure. 
Ex  am'in  ing,  looking  at  every  point.  6.  Leath'er,  the  skin  of 
an  animal  prepared  for  use.  7.  Ptiz'zled,  perplexed,  caused 
trouble.  Turn'er,  one  who  shapes  wooden  or  metal  articles  by 
means  of  a  lathe.  8.  Shav'ingg,  the  thin  ribbons  of  wood  which 
a  carpenter  makes  in  planing.  Per  mis'sion,  privilege,  consent. 
10.  Com  plete',  finished,.  In  gen'ioiis,  skillful.  11.  Com'pli- 
ment,  praise,  approbation. 


THIRD  READER.  151 

LESSON    LIX. 

PERSEVERE. 

1.  The  fisher  who  draws  in  his  net  too  soon, 

Won't  have  any  fish  to  sell; 
The  child  who  shuts  up  his  book  too  soon, 
Won't  learn  any  lessons  well. 

2.  If  you  would  have  your  learning  stay, 

Be  patient, — don't  learn  too  fast: 
The  man  who  travels  a  mile  each  day, 
May  get  round  the  world  at  last. 


LESSON    LX. 

THE    CONTENTED    BOY. 

Mr.  Lenox  was  one  morning  riding  by 
himself.  He  got  off  from  his  horse  to  look 
at  something  on  the  roadside.  The  horse 
broke  away  from  him,  and  ran  off.  Mr. 
Lenox  ran  after  him,  but  soon  found  that 
he    could    not    catch    him. 

A  little  boy  at  work  in  a  field  near  the 
road,  heard  the  horse.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
him    running    from    his    master,   the    boy  ran 


152  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

very  quickly  to  the  middle  of  the  road,  and, 
catching  the  horse  by  the  bridle,  stopped 
him  till  Mr.  Lenox  came  up. 

Mr.  Lenox.  Thank  you,  my  good  boy,  you 
have  caught  my  horse  very  nicely.  What 
shall  I  give  you  for  your  trouble? 

Boy.     I  want  nothing,  sir. 

Mr.  L.  You  want  nothing?  So  much  the 
better  for  you.  Few  men  can  say  as  much. 
But  what  were  you  doing  in  the  field  ? 

B.  I  was  rooting  up  weeds,  and  tending 
the  sheep  that  were  feeding  on  turnips. 

Mr.  L.     Do  you  like  to  work? 

B.     Yes,  sir,  very  well,  this  fine  weather. 

Mr.   L.     But  would  you  not  rather  play? 

B.  This  is  not  hard  work.  It  is  almost 
as  good  as  play. 

Mr.  L.     Who  set  you  to  work  ? 

B.     My  father,  sir. 

Mr.  L.     What  is  your  name? 

B.     Peter  Hurdle,  sir. 

Mr.  L.     How  old  are  you? 

B.     Eight  years  old,  next  June. 

Mr.  L.     How  long  have  you  been  here? 

B.     Ever  since  six  o'clock  this  morning. 

Mr.  L.     Are  you  not  hungry? 

B.     Yes,  sir,  but  I  shall  go  to  dinner  soon. 


THIRD  READER. 


153 


Mr.  L.     If    you    had  a    dime     now,    what 
would  you  do  with  it? 

B.     I  do  n't  know,  sir.  I  never  had  so  much. 

Mr.  L.     Have  you  no  playthings? 


154  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

B.     Playthings?     What   are  they? 

Mr.  L.  Such  things  as  ninepins,  marbles, 
tops,  and   wooden   horses. 

B.  No,  sir.  Tom  and  I  play  at  football 
in  winter,  and  I  have  a  jumping  rope.  I  had 
a   hoop,  but   it    is   broken. 

Mr.  L.     Do    you   want   nothing    else  ? 

B.  I  have  hardly  time  to  play  with  what 
I  have.  I  have  to  drive  the  cows,  and  to 
run  on  errands,  and  to  ride  the  horses  to  the 
fields,  and   that   is    as   good   as   play. 

Mr.  L.  You  could  get  apples  and  cakes, 
if   you   had   money,  you   know. 

B.  I  can  have  apples  at  home.  As  for 
cake,  I  do  not  want  that.  My  mother  makes 
me   a   pie   now    and   then,   which   is   as    good. 

Mr.  L.  Would  you  not  like  a  knife  to  cut 
sticks  ? 

B.  I  have  one.  Here  it  is.  Brother  Tom 
gave   it  to   me. 

Mr.  L.  Your  shoes  are  full  of  holes.  Do  n't 
you    want    a   new    pair? 

B.     I   have    a   better   pair   for   Sundays. 

Mr.  L.     But  these  let   in  water. 

B.     I    do   not   mind   that,  sir. 

Mr.  L.  Your    hat   is   all   torn,   too. 

B.     I    have  a   better  one   at    home. 


THIRD   HEADER.  155 

Mr.  L.     What    do    you    do    when  it  rains? 

B.  If  it  rains  very  hard  when  I  am  in 
the  field,  I    get   under    a   tree   for    shelter. 

Mr.  L.  What  do  you  do,  if  you  are  hungry 
before   it    is    time   to    go    home? 

B.     I    sometimes   eat    a   raw   turnip. 

Mr.  L.     But   if   there    is    none? 

B.  Then  I  do  as  well  as  I  can  without. 
I   work   on,  and    never   think    of    it. 

Mr.  L.  Why,  my  little  fellow,  I  am  glad 
to  see  that  you  are  so  contented.  Were  you 
ever   at    school  ? 

B.  No,  sir.  But  father  means  to  send  me 
next    winter. 

Mr.  L.     You    will    want   books   then. 

B.  Yes,  sir ;  each  boy  has  a  Spelling  Book, 
a    Reader,  and   a    Testament. 

Mr.  L.  Then  I  will  give  them  to  you. 
Tell  your  father  so,  and  that  it  is  because 
you   are   an    obliging,   contented  little  boy. 

B.     I   will,  sir.     Thank   you. 

Mr.  L.     Good   by,  Peter. 

B.     Good   morning,  sir.  _,     T  t     ... 

°7  Dr.  John  Aiken. 

Definitions. — Root'ing,  'pulling  up  by  the  roots.  TSnd'ing, 
watching,  attending.  Tur'nip,  a  vegetable.  Wfiath'er,  state  of 
the  atmosphere.  Er'rand§,  messages.  Raw,  not  cooked.  Tgs'ta- 
ment,  the  last  twenty-seven  books  of  the  Bible. 


156  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    LXI. 


LITTLE    GUSTAVA. 

1.  Little  Gustava  sits  in  the  sun, 

Safe  in  the  porch,  and  the  little  drops  run 
From  the  icicles  under  the  eaves  so  fast, 
For  the  bright  spring  sun  shines  warm  at  last, 
And  glad  is  little  Gustava. 

2.  She  wears  a  quaint  little  scarlet  cap, 

And  a  little  green  bowl  she  holds  in  her  lap, 
Filled  with  bread  and  milk  to  the  brim, 
And  a  wreath  of  marigolds  round  the  rim : 
"  Ha !  ha ! "  laughs  little  Gustava. 

3.  Up  comes  her  little  gray,  coaxing  cat, 

With  her  little  pink  nose,  and  she  mews,  "  What's 

that?" 
Gustava  feeds  her, — she  begs  for  more, 
And  a  little  brown  hen   walks  in  at  the  door: 
"  Good  day  !  "  cries  little  Gustava. 

4.  She  scatters  crumbs  for  the  little  brown  hen, 
There  comes  a  rush  and  a  flutter,  and  then 
Down  fly  her  little  white  doves  so  sweet, 
With  their  snowy  wings  and  their  crimson  feet: 

"Welcome!"  cries  little  Gustava. 

5.  So  dainty  and  eager  they  pick  up  the  crumbs. 
But  who  is  this  through  the  doorway  comes? 


THIRD   READER. 


157 


Little  Scotch  terrier,  little  dog  Rags, 
Looks  in  her  face,  and  his  funny  tail  wags 
"  Ha !    ha ! "  laughs  little  Gustava. 


6.  "You  want  some  breakfast,  too?"  and  down 
She  sets  her  bowl  on  the  brick  floor  brown, 
And  little  dog  Rags  drinks  up  her  milk, 
While  she  strokes  his  shaggy  locks,  like  silk: 

"Dear  Rags!"  says  little  Gustava. 

7.  Waiting  without  stood  sparrow  and  crow, 
Cooling  their  feet  in  the  melting  snow. 


158  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

"Won't  you  come  in,  good  folk?"  she  cried, 
But  they  were  too  bashful,  and  staid  outside, 

Though  "  Pray  come  in  ! "  cried  Gustava. 

8.  So  the  last  she  threw  them,  and  knelt  on  the  mat, 
With  doves,  and  biddy,  and  dog,  and  cat. 

And  her  mother  came  to  the  open  house  door : 
"  Dear  little  daughter,  I  bring  you  some  more, 
My  merry  little  Gustava." 

9.  Kitty  and  terrier,  biddy  and  doves, 
All  things  harmless  Gustava  loves, 

The  shy,  kind  creatures  'tis  joy  to  feed, 
And,  oh !  her  breakfast  is  sweet  indeed 
To  happy  little  Gustava ! 

Celia  Thaxter. 

Definitions. — 1.  Gus  ta'va,  a  girFs  name.  I'ci  €le§,  water 
frozen  in  long,  needle-like  shapes.  Eave§  (evz),  the  lower  edges 
of  a  roof.  2.  Quaint,  odd.  Mar'i  gold,  a  yellow  flower.  8. 
Knfilt,  bent  on  her  knees.     Bid'dy,  chicken. 


LESSON    LXII. 

THE     INSOLENT     BOY. 

1.  James  Selton  was  one  of  the  most  inso- 
lent boys  in  the  village  where  he  lived.  He 
would  rarely  pass  people  in  the  street  with- 
out  being  guilty    of  some    sort   of  abuse. 


THIRD  READER.  159 

2.  If  a  person  were  well  dressed  he  would 
cry  out,  "Dandy!"  If  a  person's  clothes 
were  dirty  or  torn,  he  would  throw  stones  at 
him,  and    annoy  him    in  every  way. 

3.  One  afternoon,  just  as  the  school  was 
dismissed,  a  stranger  passed  through  the  vil- 
lage. His  dress  was  plain  and  somewhat  old, 
but  neat  and  clean.  He  carried  a  cane  in 
his  hand,  on  the  end  of  which  was  a  bundle, 
and   he  wore    a   broad-brimmed   hat. 

4.  No  sooner  did  James  see  the  stranger, 
than  he  winked  to  his  playmates,  and  said, 
"Now  for  some  fun!"  He  then  silently 
went  toward  the  stranger  from  behind,  and, 
knocking   off  his  hat,    ran    away. 

5.  The  man  turned  and  saw  him,  but  James 
was  out  of  hearing  before  he  could  speak. 
The  stranger  put  on  his  hat,  and  went  on 
his  way.  Again  did  James  approach;  but 
this  time,  the  man  caught  him  by  the  arm, 
and  held    him   fast. 

6.  However,  he  contented  himself  with  look- 
ing James  a  moment  in  the  face,  and  then 
pushed  him  from  him.  No  sooner  did  the 
naughty  boy  find  himself  free  again,  than 
he  began  to  pelt  the  stranger  with  dirt  and 
stones. 


160 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


7.  But  he  was  much  frightened  when  the 
"rowdy,"  as  he  foolishly  called  the  man,  was 
struck  on  the  head  by  a  brick,  and  badly 
hurt.  All  the  boys  now  ran  away,  and  James 
skulked  across  the  fields  to  his  home. 

8.  As  he  drew  near  the  house,  his  sister 
Caroline    came    out   to  meet   him,  holding   up 


THIRD   READER.  161 

a   beautiful   gold   chain   and    some  new  books 
for   him   to    see. 

9.  She  told  James,  as  fast  as  she  could 
talk,  that  their  uncle,  who  had  been  away 
several  years,  had  come  home,  and  was  now 
in  the  house ;  that  he  had  brought  beautiful 
presents  for  the  whole  family;  that  he  had 
left  his  carriage  at  the  tavern,  a  mile  or  two 
off,  and  walked  on  foot,  so  as  to  surprise  his 
brother,  their   father. 

10.  She  said,  that  while  he  was  coming 
through  the  village,  some  wicked  boys  threw 
stones  at  him,  and  hit  him  just  over  the 
eye,  and  that  mother  had  bound  up  the 
wound.  "But  what  makes  you  look  so 
pale?"   asked    Caroline,  changing   her  tone. 

11.  The  guilty  boy  told  her  that  nothing 
was  the  matter  with  him ;  and  running  into 
the  house,  he  went  upstairs  into  his  cham- 
ber. Soon  after,  he  heard  his  father  calling 
him  to  come  down.  Trembling  from  head 
to  foot,  he  obeyed.  When  he  reached  the 
parlor   door,  he  stood,  fearing   to    enter, 

12.  His  mother  said,  "James,  why  do  you 
not  come  in?  You  are  not  usually  so  bash- 
ful. See  this  beautiful  watch,  which  your 
uncle   has   brought  for   you." 

3,  11. 


162  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

13.  What  a  sense  of  shame  did  James  now 
feel!  Little  Caroline  seized  his  arm,  and 
pulled  him  into  the  room.  But  he  hung 
down  his  head,  and  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands. 

14.  His  uncle  went  up  to  him,  and  kindly 
taking  away  his  hands,  said,  "James,  will 
you  not  bid  me  welcome?"  But  quickly 
starting  back,  he  cried,  "Brother,  this  is  not 
your  son.  It  is  the  boy  who  so  shamefully 
insulted    me    in   the    street!" 

15.  With  surprise  and  grief  did  the  good 
father  and  mother  learn  this.  His  uncle 
was  ready  to  forgive  him,  and  forget  the 
injury.  But  his  father  would  never  permit 
James  to  have  the  gold  watch,  nor  the  beau- 
tiful books,  which  his  uncle  had  brought  for 
him. 

16.  The  rest  of  the  children  were  loaded 
with  presents.  James  was  obliged  to  content 
himself  with  seeing  them  happy.  He  never 
forgot  this  lesson  so  long  as  he  lived.  It 
cured  him  entirely  of  his  low  and  insolent 
manners. 

Definitions. — 1.  In'so  lent,  rude,  insulting.  Rare'ly, 
hardly  ever.  A  buse',  ill  usage.  2.  Dan'dy,  a  fop.  3.  Dis- 
missed',   let   out.      6.  Naugh'ty     (na'ty),      bad,    wicked.    7. 


THIRD    READER.  163 

Row'dy,  a  low  fellow,  who  engages  in  fights.  Skulked,  went  in 
a  sneaking  manner.  9.  Un'ele,  the  brother  of  one's  father  or 
mother.  Tav'ern,  a  small  hotel.  14.  Shame'ful  ly,  disgrace- 
fully. In  siilt'ed,  treated  with  abuse.  15.  In'ju  ry,  harm  done. 
16.  En  tire'ly,  altogether. 


LESSON    LXIII. 

WE     ARE     SEVEN. 

1.  I  met  a  little  cottage  girl: 

She  was  eight  years  old,  she  said; 
Her  hair  was  thick  with  many  a  curl, 
That  clustered  round  her  head. 

2.  She  had  a  rustic,  woodland  air, 

And  she  was  wildly  clad : 
Her  eyes  were  fair,  and  very  fair; — 
Her  beauty  made  me  glad. 

3.  "Sisters  and  brothers,  little  maid, 

How  many  may  you  be?" 
"How  many?  Seven' in  all,"  she  said, 
And,  wondering,  looked  at  me. 

4.  "  A.nd  where  are  they?  I  pray  you  tell." 

She  answered,  "Seven  are  we; 
And  two  of  us  at  Conway  dwell, 
And  two  are  gone  to  sea. 


164 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


5.  "Two  of  us  in  the  churchyard  lie, 
My  sister  and  my  brother; 
And,  in  the    churchyard    cottage,  I 
Dwell  near  them  with  my  mother." 


6.  "You  say  that  two  at  Conway  dwell, 
And  two  are  gone  to  sea, 
Yet  ye  are  seven!    I  pray  you  tell, 
Sweet  maid,  how  this  may  be." 


THIRD   READER.  166 

7.  Then  did  the  little  maid  reply, 

"  Seven  boys  and  girls  are  we ; 
Two  of  us  in  the  churchyard  lie, 
Beneath  the  churchyard  tree." 

8.  "  You  run  about,  my  little  maid, 

Your  limbs,  they  are  alive; 
If  two  are  in  the  churchyard  laid, 
Then  ye  are  only  five." 

9.  "Their  graves  are  green,  they  may  be  seen," 

The  little  maid  replied, 
"  Twelve  steps  or  more  from  mother's  door, 
And  they  are  side  by  side. 

10.  "My  stockings  there  I  often  knit, 

My  kerchief  there  I  hem ; 
And  there  upon  the  ground  I  sit, 
And  sing  a  song  to  them. 

11.  "And  often  after  sunset,  sir, 

When  it  is  light  and  fair, 
I  take  my  little  porringer, 
And  eat  my  supper  there. 

12.  "The  first  that  died  was  sister  Jane; 

In  bed  she  moaning  lay, 


166  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

Till  God  released  her  from  her  pain; 
And  then  she  went  away. 

13.  "So  in  the   churchyard   she  was  laid; 

And,  when  the  grass  was  dry, 
Together  round  her  grave  we  played, 
My  brother  John  and  I. 

14.  "  And  when  the  ground  was  white  with  snow, 

And  I  could  run  and  slide, 
My  brother  John  was  forced  to  go, 
And  he  lies  by  her  side." 

15.  "How  many  are  you,  then?"  said  I, 

"If  they  two  are  in  heaven?" 
Quick  was  the  little  maid's  reply, 
"0  master!  we  are  seven." 

16.  "But  they  are  dead;  those  two  are  dead! 

Their  spirits  are  in  heaven!" 
'T was  throwing  words  away:  for  still 
The  little  maid  would  have  her  will, 

And  said,  "Nay,  we  are  seven." 

William    Wordsworth. 

Definitions. — 1.  Cliis'tered,  hung  in  bunches.  2.  Riis'tie, 
country-like.  10.  Ker'chief,  handkerchief.  11.  Pdr'rin  ger,  a 
small  dish  for  soup  or  porridge.     12.   Re  leased  ,  freed,  relieved. 


third  reader.  167 

lesson   lxiv. 

mary's    dime. 

1.  There!  I  have  drawn  the  chairs  into 
the  right  corners,  and  dusted  the  room  nicely. 
How  cold  papa  and  mamma  will  be  when 
they  return  from  their  long  ride !  It  is  not 
time  to  toast  the  bread  yet,  and  I  am  tired 
of  reading. 

2.  What  shall  I  do?  Somehow,  I  can't 
help  thinking  about  the  pale  face  of  that 
little  beggar  girl  all  the  time.  I  can  see 
the  glad  light  filling  her  eyes,  just  as  plain 
as  I  did  when  I  laid  the  dime  in  her  little 
dirty  hand. 

3.  How  much  I  had  thought  of  that  dime, 
too !  Grandpa  gave  it  to  me  a  whole  month 
ago,  and  I  had  kept  it  ever  since  in  my  red 
box  upstairs ;  but  those  sugar  apples  looked 
so  beautiful,  and  were  so  cheap — only  a  dime 
apiece — that  I  made  up  my  mind  to  have 
one. 

4.  I  can  see  her — the  beggar  girl,  -I  mean — 
as  she  stood  there  in  front  of  the  store,  in 
her  old  hood  and  faded  dress,  looking  at 
the    candies    laid    all    in    a    row.      I    wonder 


168 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


what  made  me  say,  "Little  girl,  what  do  you 
want?" 

5.  How  she  stared  at  me,  just  as  if  nobody 
had    spoken    kindly    to    her    before.      I    guess 


she  thought  I  was  sorry  for  her,  for  she  said, 
so  earnestly  and  sorrowfully,  "I  was  think- 
ing how  good  one  of  those  gingerbread  rolls 
would  taste.  I  have  n't  had  anything  to  eat 
to-day." 


THIRD   READER.  169 

6.  Now,  I  thought  to  myself,  "Mary  Wil- 
liams, you  have  had  a  good  breakfast  and  a 
good  dinner  this  day,  and  this  poor  girl  has 
not  had  a  mouthful.  You  can  give  her  your 
dime;  she  needs  it  a  great  deal  more  than 
you   do." 

7.  I  could  not  resist  that  little  girl's  sor- 
rowful, hungry  look — so  I  dropped  the  dime 
right  into  her  hand,  and,  without  waiting  for 
her  to  speak,  walked  straight  away.  I  'm  so 
glad  I  gave  her  the  dime,  if  I  did  have  to 
go  without  the  apple  lying  there  in  the  win- 
dow, and   looking  just   like   a  real    one. 

Definitions. — 1.  Toast,  to  scorch  until  brown  by  the  heat  of 
a  fire.  3.  Cheap,  low  in  price.  A  piece',  each.  4.  Hood,  a 
soft  covering  for  the  head.  Fad'ed,  having  lost  freshness  of  color. 
5.  Stared,  looked  earnestly.  Sor'row  ful  ly,  full  of  sadness. 
Gin'ger  brgad ,  a  kind  of  sweet  cake  flavored  with  ginger. 


LESSON    LXV. 

MARY    DOW. 

"Come  in,  little  stranger,"  I  said, 
As  she  tapped  at  my  half-open  door ; 

While  the  blanket,  pinned  over  her  head, 
Just  reached  to  the  basket  she  bore. 


170 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


2.  A  look  full  of  innocence  fell 

From  her  modest  and  pretty  blue  eye, 
As  she  said,  "I  have  matches  to  sell, 
And  hope  you  are  willing  to  buy. 


3.  "A  penny  a  bunch  is  the  price, 

I  think  you'll  not  find  it  too  much; 
They  are  tied  up  so  even  and  nice, 
And  ready  to  light  with  a  touch." 

4.  I  asked,  "What's  your  name,  little  girl? 

"Tis  Mary,"  said  she,  "Mary  Dow;" 


THIRD  READER.  171 

And  carelessly  tossed  off  a  curl, 
That  played  on  her  delicate  brow. 

5.  "My  father  was  lost  on  the  deep; 

The  ship  never  got  to  the  shore; 
And  mother  is  sad,  and  will  weep, 
To  hear  the  wind  blow  and  sea  roar. 

6.  "She  sits  there  at  home,  without  food, 

Beside  our  poor,  sick  Willy's  bed ; 
She  paid  all  her  money  for  wood, 
And  so  I  sell  matches  for  bread. 

7.  "I  'd  go  to  the  yard  and  get  chips, 

But  then  it  would  make  me  too  sad 
To  see  the  men  building  the  ships, 
And  think  they  had  made  one  so  bad. 

8.  "  But  God,  I  am  sure,  who  can  take 

Such  fatherly  care  of  a  bird, 
Will  never  forget  nor  forsake 

The  children  who  trust  in  his  word. 

9.  "And  now,  if  I  only  can  sell 

The  matches  I  brought  out  to-day, 
I  think  I  shall  do  very  well, 

And  we  shall  rejoice  at  the  pay." 


172  ECLECTIC 'SERIES. 

10.  "Fly  home,  little  bird,"  then  I  thought, 
"Fly  home,  full  of  joy,  to  your  nest;" 
For  I  took  all  the  matches  she  brought, 
And  Mary  may  tell  you  the  rest. 

Definitions. — 1.  Blan'ket,  a  square  of  loosely  woven  woolen 
cloth.  2.  Match'eg,  small  splints  of  wood,  one  end  of  which  lias 
been  dipped  in  a  preparation  which  will  take  fire  by  rubbing. 
3.  Pen'ny,  cent.  4.  DSl'i  eate,  soft  and  fair.  8.  For  sake', 
leave,  reject. 


LESSON    LXVI. 

THE     LITTLE    LOAF. 

1.  Once  when  there  was  a  famine,  a  rich 
baker  sent  for  twenty  of  the  poorest  children 
in  the  town,  and  said  to  them,  "  In  this 
basket  there  is  a  loaf  for  each  of  you.  Take 
it,  and  come  back  to  me  every  day  at  this 
hour  till    God   sends    us    better   times." 

2.  The  hungry  children  gathered  eagerly 
about  the  basket,  and  quarreled  for  the  bread, 
because  each  wished  to  have  the  largest  loaf. 
At  last  they  went  away  without  even  thank- 
ing  the   good   gentleman. 

3.  But  Gretchen,  a  poorly-dressed  little  girl, 
did    not    quarrel    or    struggle    with    the    rest, 


THIRD  READER. 


173 


but  remained  standing  modestly  in  the  dis- 
tance. When  the  ill-behaved  girls  had  left, 
she  took  the  smallest  loaf,  which  alone  was 
left  in  the  basket,  kissed  the  gentleman's 
hand,  and   went   home. 

4.  The  ,  next  day  the  children  were  as  ill- 
behaved  as  before,  and  poor,  timid  Gretchen 
received  a  loaf  scarcely  half  the  size  of  the 
one  she  got  the  first  day.  When  she  came 
home,  and  her  mother  cut  the  loaf  open, 
many  new,  shining  pieces  of  silver  fell  out 
of  it. 


174  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

5.  Her  mother  was  very  much  alarmed, 
and  said,  "Take  the  money  back  to  the  good 
gentleman  at  once,  for  it  must  h,ave  got  into 
the  dough  by  accident.  Be  quick,  Gfretchen ! 
be   quick!" 

6.  But  when  the  little  girl  gave  the  rich 
man  her  mother's  message,  he  said,  "  No,  no, 
my  child,  it  was  no  mistake.  I  had  the 
silver  pieces  put  into  the  smallest  loaf  to 
reward  you.  Always  be  as  contented,  peace- 
able, and  grateful  as  you  now  are.  Go  home 
now,  and  tell  your  mother  that  the  money  is 
your   own." 

Definitions. — 1.  Fam'ine,  a  general  scarcity  of  food. 
Loaf,  a  molded  mass  of  regular  shape  (as  of  bread  or  cake). 
3.  GrStch'en,  a  girl's  name — the  shortened  form,  or  pet  name, 
for  Marguerite.  Re  mainetT,  staid.  Dis'tance,  place  which  is 
far  off.  Ill-be  haved',  rude,  having  bad  manners.  5.  Ae'ci- 
dent,  mistake.  6.  Mes'sage,  word  sent,  communication.  Peace'- 
a  ble,  quiet,  gentle. 

LESSON    LXVII. 

SUSIE     AND    ROVER. 

1.  "Mamma,"  said  Susie  Dean,  one  sum- 
mer's morning,  "  may  I  go  to  the  woods,  and 
pick  berries?" 


THIRD   READER.  175 

2.  "Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Dean,  "but  you 
must    take   Rover    with    you." 

3.  Susie  brought  her  little  basket,  and  her 
mother  put  up  a  nice  lunch  for  her.  She 
tied  down  the  cover,  and  fastened  a  tin  cup 
to   it. 

4.  The  little  girl  called  Rover — a  great 
Newfoundland  dog — and  gave  him  a  tin  pail 
to  carry.  "If  I  bring  it  home  full,  mamma," 
she  said,  "  won't  you  make  some  berry  cakes 
for  tea?" 

5.  Away  she  tripped,  singing  as  she  went 
down  the  lane  and  across  the  pasture.  When 
she  got  to  the  woods,  she  put  her  dinner 
basket  down  beside  a  tree,  and  began  to  pick 
berries. 

6.  Rover  ran  about,  chasing  a  squirrel  or  a 
rabbit  now  and  then,  but  never  straying  far 
from   Susie. 

7.  The  tin  pail  was  not  a  very  small  one. 
By  the  time  it  was  two  thirds  full,  Susie 
began  to  feel  hungry,  and  thought  she  would 
eat    her   lunch. 

8.  Rover  came  and  took  his  place  at  her 
side  as  soon  as  she  began  to  eat.  Did  she 
not  give  him  some  of  the  lunch?  No,  she 
was  in  a  selfish  mood,  and  did  no  such  thing. 


176 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


9.  "There,  Rover,  run  away!  there's  a  good 
dog,"  she  said ;  but  Rover  staid  near  her, 
watching  her  steadily  with  his  clear  brown 
eyes. 


10.  The  meat  he  wanted  so  much,  was  soon 
eaten  up;  and  all  he  got  of  the  nice  dinner, 
was  a  small  crust  of  gingerbread  that  Susie 
threw  away. 

11.  After  dinner,   Susie   played  a  while   by 


THIRD  READER.  177 

the  brook.  She  threw  sticks  into  the  water, 
and  Rover  swam  in  and  brought  them  back. 
Then   she   began   to   pick  berries   again. 

12.  She  did  not  enjoy  the  afternoon  as 
she  did  the  morning.  The  sunshine  was  as 
bright,  the  berries  were  as  sweet  and  plenti- 
ful, and  she  was  neither  tired   nor  hungry. 

13.  But  good,  faithful  Rover  was  hungry, 
and  she  had  not  given  him  even  one  piece  of 
meat.  She  tried  to  forget  how  selfish  she 
had  been;  but  she  could  not  do  so,  and  quite 
early  she   started   for  home. 

14.  When  she  was  nearly  out  of  the  woods, 
a  rustling  in  the  underbrush  attracted  her 
attention.  "I  wonder  if  that  is  a  bird  or  a 
squirrel,"  said  she  to  herself.  "  If  I  can 
catch   it,  how    glad  I   shall   be!" 

15.  She  tried  to  make  her  way  quietly 
through  the  underbrush;  but  what  was  her 
terror  when  she  saw  a  large  snake  coiled  up 
before  her,  prepared  for   a   spring! 

16.  She  was  so  much  frightened  that  she 
could  not  move ;  but  brave  Rover  saw  the 
snake,  and,  springing  forward,  seized  it  by 
the   neck   and  killed   it. 

17.  When  the  faithful  dog  came  and  rubbed 
his    head    against    her    hand,    Susie    put    her 

3,  12. 


178  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

arms  around  his  neck,  and  burst  into  tears. 
"0  Rover,"  she  cried,  "you  dear,  good  dog! 
How    sorry  I    am   that   I    was    so  selfish!" 

18.  Rover  understood  the  tone  of  her  voice, 
if  he  did  not  understand  her  words,  and  ca- 
pered about  in  great  glee,  barking  all  the 
time.  You  may  be  sure  that  he  had  a  plen- 
tiful  supper   that   evening. 

19.  Susie  never  forgot  the  lesson  of  that 
day.  She  soon  learned  to  be  on  her  guard 
against  a  selfish  spirit,  and  became  a  happier 
and  more  lovable  little  girl. 

Mrs.  M.   O.  Johnson — Adapted. 

Definitions. — 8.  Selfish,  thinking  and  caring  only  for  one's 
self.  Mood,  state  of  mind.  9.  Stead'i  \y,  constantly.  12. 
Plen'ti  ful,  abundant.  Nei'ther,  not  the  one  or  the  other. 
14.  Un'der  brush,  shrubs  or  small  bushes  in  a  forest.  At- 
traet'ed,  drew.  At  ten'tion,  earnest  thought.  15.  Ter'ror, 
fright,  fear.     18.  Ca'pered,  frisked. 


LESSON    LXVIII. 

THE     VIOLET. 

1.  Down  in  a  green  and  shady  bed, 
A  modest  violet  grew; 
Its  stalk  was  bent,  it  hung  its  head, 
As  if  to  hide  from  view. 


THIRD   READER. 


179 


2.  And  yet  it  was  a  lovely  flower, 

Its  colors  bright  and  fair; 
It  might  have  graced  a  rosy  bower 
Instead  of  hiding  there. 

3.  Yet  there  it  was  content  to  bloom, 

In  modest  tints  arrayed, 
And  there  it  spread  its  sweet  perfume, 
Within  the  silent  shade. 


4.  Then  let  me  to  the  valley  go,   , 
This  pretty  flower  to  see ; 
That  I  may  also  learn  to  grow 
In  sweet  humility. 

Jane  Taylor. 


180  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

m 

LESSON    LXIX. 

NO     CROWN     FOR     ME. 

1.  "Will  you  come  with  us,  Susan?"  cried 
several  little  girls  to  a  schoolmate.  "  We 
are   going   to   the   woods ;    do   come,  too." 

2.  "I  should  like  to  go  with  you  very 
much,"  replied  Susan,  with  a  sigh;  "but  I 
can  not  finish  the  task  grandmother  set  me 
to  do." 

3.  "  How  tiresome  it  must  be  to  stay  at 
home  to  work  on  a  holiday!"  said  one  of  the 
girls,  with  a  toss  of  her  head.  "  Susan's 
grandmother   is    too  strict." 

4.  Susan  heard  this  remark,  and,  as  she 
bent  her  head  over  her  task,  she  wiped  away 
a  tear,  and  thought  of  the  pleasant  afternoon 
the  girls  would  spend  gathering  wild  flowers 
in   the   woods. 

5.  Soon  she  said  to  herself,  "What  harm 
can  there  be  in  moving  the  mark  grand- 
mother put  in  the  stocking?  The  woods 
must  be  very  beautiful  to-day,  and  how  I 
should   like   to  be   in   them ! " 

6.  "Grandmother,"  said  she,  a  few  minutes 
afterwards,    "I    am    ready,   now."     "What,   so 


THIRD    READER.  181 

soon,    Susan?"      Her    grandmother    took    the 
work,  and    looked   at   it   very    closely. 

7.  "True,  Susan,"  said  she,  laying  great 
stress  on  each  word;  "true,  I  count  twenty 
turns  from  the  mark;  and,  as  you  have  never 
deceived  me,  you  may  go  and  amuse  your- 
self  as   you   like   the    rest   of  the   day." 

8.  Susan's  cheeks  were  scarlet,  and  she  did 
not  say,  "Thank  you."  As  she  left  the  cot- 
tage, she  walked  slowly  away,  not  singing  as 
usual. 

9.  "Why,  here  is  Susan!"  the  girls  cried, 
when  she  joined  their  company;  "but  what 
is  the  matter  ?  Why  have  you  left  your  dear, 
old  grandmother?"  they  tauntingly  added. 

10.  "There  is  nothing  the  matter."  As 
Susan  repeated  these  words,  she  felt  that  she 
was  trying  to  deceive  herself.  She  had  acted 
a  lie.  At  the  same  time  she  remembered 
her  grandmother's  words,  "You  have  never 
deceived   me." 

11.  "Yes,  I  have  deceived  her,"  said  she 
to  herself.  "  If  she  knew  all,  she  would 
never   trust   me    again." 

12.  When  the  little  party  had  reached  an 
open  space  in  the  woods,  her  companions  ran 
about  enjoying  themselves;   but  Susan    sat   on 


182 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


the  grass,  wishing  she  were  at  home  confess- 
ing her  fault. 

13.  After  a  while  Rose  cried  out,  "  Let  us 
make  a  crown  of  violets,  and  put  it  on  the 
head  of  the  best  girl  here." 

14.  "It  will  be  easy  enough  to  make  the 
crown,  but  not  so  easy  to  decide  who  is  to 
wear    it,"    said   Julia. 

15.  "Why,  Susan  is  to  wear  it,  of  course," 
said  Rose:  "is  she  not  said  to  be  the  best 
girl  in  school,  and  the  most  obedient  at 
home?" 

16.  "Yes,  yes;   the  crown  shall  be  for  Su- 


THIRD  READER.  183 

san,"    cried    the    other   girls,  and   they   began 
to  make  the  crown.     It  was    soon   finished. 

17.  "Now,  Susan,"  said  Rose,  "put  it  on 
in  a  very  dignified  way,  for  you  are  to  be 
our   queen." 

18.  As  these  words  were  spoken,  the  crown 
was  placed  on  her  head.  In  a  moment  she 
snatched  it  off,  and  threw  it  on  the  ground, 
saying,  "No  crown  for  me;  I  do  not  deserve 
it." 

19.  The  girls  looked  at  her  with  surprise. 
"I  have  deceived  my  grandmother,"  said  she, 
while  tears  flowed  down  her  cheeks.  "  I  al- 
tered the  mark  she  put  in  the  stocking,  that 
1  might  join  you  in  t7  e  woods." 

20.  "Do  you  call  .nat  wicked?"  asked  one 
of  the  girls. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  it  is ;  and  I  have  been 
miserable  all  the  time  I  have  been  here." 

21.  Susan  now  ran  home,  and  as  soon  as 
she  got  there  she  said,  with  a  beating  heart, 
"0  grandmother!  I  deserve  to  be  punished, 
for  I  altered  the  mark  you  put  in  the  stock- 
ing. Do  forgive  me ;  I  am  very  sorry  and 
unhappy." 

22.  "Susan,"  said  her  grandmother,  "I  knew 
it  all  the  time;    but  I  let  you  go  out,  hoping 


184  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

that  your  own  conscience  would  tell  you 
of  your  sin.  I  am  so  glad  that  you  have 
confessed   your    fault   and   your   sorrow." 

23.  "When  shall  I  be  your  own  little  girl 
again?"  "Now,"  was  the  quick  reply,  and 
Susan's   grandmother  kissed   her   forehead. 

Definitions. — 3.  Tire'some,  tedious,  wearisome.  7.  Stress, 
force,  emphasis.  9.  Com'pa  ny,  a  number  of  persons  together. 
Taunt'ing  ly,  in  a  disagreeable,  reproachful  manner.  12.  Con- 
fess'ing,  telling  of,  acknowledging.  Fault,  wrongdoing,  sin. 
17.  Dig'ni  fled,  respectful,  stately.  19.  Al'tered  (al'-),  changed. 
20.  Mis/er  a  ble,  wretched,  very  unhappy.  23.  Fore'Lead 
(for'ed),    the  front  part  of  the  head  above  the  eyes. 


LESSG       LXX. 

YOUNG     SOLDIEliS. 

1.  Oh,  were  you  ne'er  a  schoolboy, 

And  did  you  never  train, 
And  feel  that  swelling  of  the  heart 
You  ne'er  can  feel  again  ? 

2.  Did  you  never  meet,  far  down  the  street, 

With  plumes  and  banners  gay, 
While  the  kettle,  for  the  kettledrum, 
Played  your  march,  march  away? 


THIRD  READER. 


185 


3.  It  seems  to  me  but  yesterday, 

Nor  scarce  so  long  ago, 
Since  all  our  school  their  muskets  took, 
To  charge  the  fearful  foe. 

4.  Our  muskets  were  of  cedar  wood, 

With  ramrods  bright  and  new; 
With  bayonets  forever  set, 
And  painted  barrels,  too. 


5.  We  charged  upon  a  flock  of  geese, 
And  put  them  all  to  flight — 
Except  one  sturdy  gander 

That  thought  to  show  us  fight. 


186 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


6.  But,  ah!  we  knew  a  thing  or  two; 

Our  captain  wheeled  the  van ; 
We  routed  him,  we  scouted  him, 
Nor  lost  a  single  man! 

7.  Our  captain  was  as  brave  a  lad 

As  e'er  commission  bore; 
And  brightly  shone  his  new  tin  sword; 
A  paper  cap  he  wore. 

8.  He  led  us  up  the  steep  hillside, 

Against  the  western  wind, 
While  the  cockerel  plume  that  decked  his 
head 
Streamed  bravely  out  behind. 

9.  We  shouldered  arms,  we  carried  arms, 

We  charged  the  bayonet; 
And  woe  unto  the  mullein  stalk 
That  in  our  course  we  met! 


THIRD    READER.  187 

10.  At  two  o'clock  the  roll  we  called, 
And  till  the  close  of  day, 
With  fearless  hearts,  though  tired  limbs, 

We  fought  the  mimic  fray, — 
Till  the  supper  bell,  from  out  the  dell, 
Bade  us  march,  march  awTay. 

Definitions. — 2.  Ket'tledrum,  a  drum  made  of  a  copper 
vessel  shaped  like  a  kettle.  3.  Mtis'ket,  a  kind  of  gun.  4. 
Ce'dar,  a  very  durable  kind  of  wood.  Bay'o  net,  a  sharp  piece 
of  steel  on  the  end  of  a  gun.  Bar'rel,  the  long  metal  tube  form- 
ing part  of  a  gun.  5.  Stur'dy,  stubborn,  bold.  6.  Van,  the 
front.  Rout'ed,  put  to  flight.  Seout'ed,  made  fun  of.  7. 
Com  niis'sion,  a  writing  to  show  power.  8.  Cock'er  el,  a  young 
chicken-cock.  9.  Charged,  made  an  onset.  Mullein,  a  tall 
plant  that  grows  in  neglected  fields.     10.  Fray,  fight,  contest. 

LESSON    LXXI. 

HOW     WILLIE    GOT    OUT    OF    THE    SHAFT. 

1.  Willie's  aunt  sent  him  for  a  birthday 
present  a  little  writing  book.  There  was  a 
place  in  the  book  for  a  pencil.  Willie  thought 
a  great  deal  of  this  little  book,  and  always 
kept  it  in  his  pocket. 

2.  One  day,  his  mother  wTas  very  busy,  and 
he  called  his  dog,  and  said,  "Come,  Caper, 
let  us  have   a  play." 


18£  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

3.  When  Willie's  mother  missed  him,  she 
went  to  the  door  and  looked  out,  and  could 
not  see  him  anywhere ;  but  she  knew  that 
Caper  was  with  him,  and  thought  they  would 
come  back  before  long. 

4.  She  waited  an  hour,  and  still  they  did 
not  come.  When  she  came  to  the  gate  by 
the  road,  she  met  Mr.  Lee,  and  told  him 
how  long  Willie  had  been  gone.  Mr.  Lee 
thought  he  must  have  gone  to  sleep  under 
the  trees.  So  they  went  to  all  the  trees 
under  which  Willie  was  in  the  habit  of  play- 
ing, but  he  was   nowhere  to  be  found. 

5.  By  this  time  the  sun  had  gone  down. 
The  news  that  Willie  was  lost  soon  spread 
over  the  neighborhood,  and  all  the  men  and 
women  turned  out  to  hunt.  They  hunted  all 
night. 

6.  The  next  morning  the  neighbors  were 
gathered  round,  and  all  were  trying  to  think 
what  to  do  next,  when  Caper  came  bounding 
into  the  room.  There  was  a  string  tied  round 
his  neck,  and  a  bit  of  paper  tied  to  it. 

7.  Willie's  father,  Mr.  Lee,  took  the  paper, 
and  saw  that  it  was  a  letter  from  Willie. 
He  read  it  aloud.  It  said,  "0  father!  come 
to  me.     I  am  in  the  big  hole  in  the  pasture." 


THIRD  READER. 


189 


8.  Everybody  ran  at  once  to  the  far  corner 
of  the  pasture;  and  there  was  Willie,  alive 
and  well,  in  the  shaft.  Oh,  how  glad  he  was 
when  his  father  caught  him  in  his  arms,  and 
lifted  him  out! 


9.  Now  I  will  tell  you  how  Willie  came 
to  be  in  the  shaft.  He  and  Caper  went  to 
the  pasture  field,  and  came  to  the  edge  of 
the   shaft    and    sat    down.     In    bending    over 


190  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

to  see  how  deep  it  was,  he  lost  his  balance, 
and  fell  in.  He  tried  very  hard  to  get  out, 
but  could  not. 

10.  When  the  good  little  dog  saw  that  his 
master  was  in  the  shaft,  he  would  not  leave 
him,  but  ran  round  and  round,  reaching  down 
and  trying  to  pull  him  out.  But  while  Ca- 
per was  pulling  Willie  by  the  coat  sleeves,  a 
piece  of  sod  gave  way  under  his  feet,  and 
he  fell  in  too. 

11.  Willie  called  for  his  father  and  mother 
as  loud  as  he  could  call;  but  he  was  so  far 
away  from  the  house  that  no  one  could  hear 
him. 

12.  He  cried  and  called  till  it  was  dark, 
and  then  he  lay  down  on  the  ground,  and 
Caper  lay  down  close  beside  him.  It  was  not 
long  before  Willie  cried  himself  to  sleep. 

13.  When  he  awoke  it  was  morning,  and 
he  began  to  think  of  a  way  to  get  out.  The 
little  writing  book  that  his  aunt  had  given 
him,  was  in  his  pocket.  He  took  it  out,  and, 
after  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  wrote  the  letter 
to  his   father. 

14.  Then  he  tore  the  leaf  out,  and  took 
a  string  out  of  his  pocket,  and  tied  it  round 
Caper's     neck,     and    tied    the    letter    to    the 


THIRD   READER.  191 

string.  Then  he  lifted  the  dog  up,  and 
helped  him  out,  and  said  to  him,  "  Go  home, 
Caper,  go  home!"  The  little  dog  scampered 
away,  and   was  soon  at  home. 

Definitions. — 1.  Birth/day,  the  same  day  of  the  month  in 
which  a  person  was  bom,  in  each  succeeding  year.  5.  Neigh'- 
bor  hood,  the  surrounding  region  which  lies  nearest,  vicinity. 
Wom'en  (wim'en),  plural  of  woman.  8.  Shaft,  a  deep  hole 
made  in  the  earth,  usually  for  mining  purposes.  14.  Seam'- 
pered,  ran  briskly. 


LESSON    LXXII. 

THE     PEET    CHICKEN. 

1.  There  was  once  a  pretty  chicken; 

But  his  friends  were  very  few, 
For  he  thought  that  there  was  nothing 

In  the  world  but  what  he  knew: 
So  he  always,  in  the  farmyard, 

Had  a  very  forward  way, 
Telling  all  the  hens  and  turkeys 

What  they  ought  to  do  and  say. 
"Mrs.  Goose,"  he  said,  "I  wonder 

That  your  goslings  you  should  let 
Go  out  paddling  in  the  water; 

It  will  kill  them  to  get  wet." 


192 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


3. 


"I  wish,  my  old  Aunt  Dorking," 

He  began  to  her,  one  day, 
"That  you  wouldn't  sit  all  summer 

In  your  nest  upon  the  hay. 
Won't  you  come  out  to  the  meadow, 

Where  the  grass  with  seeds  is  filled?" 
"If  I  should,"  said  Mrs.  Dorking, 

"Then  my  eggs  would  all  get  chilled." 
"No,  they  won't,"  replied  the  chicken, 

"And  no  matter  if  they  do; 
Eggs  are  really  good  for  nothing; 

What's  an  egg  to  me  or  you?" 

"What's  an  eggl1'  said  Mrs.  Dorking, 
"Can  it  be  you  do  not  know 


THIRD  READER.  193 

You  yourself  were  in  an   eggshell 

Just  one  little  month  ago? 
And,  if  kind  wings  had  not  warmed  you, 

You  would  not  be  out  to-day, 
Telling  hens,  and  geese,  and  turkeys, 

What  they  ought  to  do  and  say! 

4.  "  To  be  very  wise,  and  show  it, 
Is  a  pleasant  thing,  no  doubt; 
But,  when  young  folks  talk  to  old  folks, 
They  should  know  what  they're  about." 

Marian  Douglas. 

Definitions. — 1.  Farm'yard,  the  inclosed  ground  attached 
to  a  barn  and  other  farm  buildings.  For'ward,  bold,  confident. 
Tur'key,  a  large  domestic  fowl.  Gog'lings,  young  geese.  Pad'- 
dling,  beating  the  water  with  the  feet,  swimming.  2.  Dur'king, 
a  species  of  chicken. 


LESSON    LXXIII. 

INDIAN     CORN. 

1.  Few  plants  are  more  useful  to  man  than 
Indian  corn,  or  maize.  No  grain,  except  rice, 
is  used  to  so  great  an  extent  as  an  article  of 
food.  In  some  countries  corn  is  almost  the 
only  food   eaten   by  the   people. 

3,  13. 


194  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

2.  Do  you  know  why  it  is  called  Indian 
corn  ?  It  is  because  the  American  Indians 
were  the  first  corn  growers.  Columbus  found 
this  grain  widely  cultivated  by  them  when 
he  discovered  the  New  World.  They  pounded 
it  in  rude,  stone  bowls,  and  thus  made  a 
coarse  flour,  which  they  mixed  with  water 
and   baked. 

3.  Indian  corn  is  now  the  leading  crop  in 
the  United  States.  In  whatever  part  of  this 
land  we  live,  we  see  corn  growing  every  year 
in  its  proper  season.  Yet  how  few  can  tell 
the  most  simple  and  important  facts  about  its 
planting  and  its  growth! 

4.  Corn,  to  do  well,  must  have  a  rich  soil 
and  a  warm  climate.  It  is  a  tender  plant, 
and  is  easily  injured  by  cold  weather.  The 
seed  corn  does  not  sprout,  but  rots,  if  the 
ground  is  cold  and  wet. 

5.  To  prepare  land  properly  for  planting 
corn,  the  soil  is  made  fine  by  plowing,  and 
furrows  are  run  across  the  field  four  feet 
apart  each  way.  At  every  point  wT,iere  these 
furrows  cross,  the  farmer  drops  from  four  to 
seven  grains  of  seed  corn.  These  are  then 
covered  with  about  two  inches  of  earth,  and 
thus  form  "hills"  of  corn. 


THIRD   READER.  195 

6.  In  favorable  weather,  the  tender  blades 
push  through  the  ground  in  ten  days  or  two 
weeks ;  then  the  stalks  mount  up  rapidly,  and 
the  long,  streamer-like  leaves  unfold  gracefully 
from  day  to  day.  Corn  must  be  carefully  cul- 
tivated while  the  plants  are  small.  After  they 
begin  to  shade  the  ground,  they  need  but  lit- 
tle hoeing  or  plowing. 

7.  The  moisture  and  earthy  matter,  drawn 
through  the  roots,  become  sap.  This  passes 
through  the  stalk,  and  enters  the  leaves. 
There  a  great  change  takes  place,  which  re- 
sults in  the  starting  of  the  ears  and  the 
growth   of  the   grain. 

8.  The  maize  plant  bears  two  kinds  of  flow- 
ers,— male  and  female.  The  two  are  widely 
separated.  The  male  flowers  are  on  the 
tassel ;  the  fine  silk  threads  which  surround 
the  ear,  and  peep  out  from  the  end  of  the 
husks,  are  the  female  flowers. 

9.  Each  grain  on  the  cob  is  the  starting- 
point  for  a  thread  of  silk;  and,  unless  the 
thread  receives  some  particle  of  the  dust 
which  falls  from  the  tassel  flowers,  the  ker- 
nel with  which  it  is  connected  will   not  grow. 

10.  The  many  uses  of  Indian  corn  and  its 
products    are    worthy    of    note.      The     green 


196 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


stalks  and  leaves  make  excellent  fodder  for 
cattle.  The  ripe  grain  is  used  all  over  the 
earth  as  food  for  horses,  pigs,  and  poultry. 
Nothing  is  better  for  fattening  stock. 

11.  Green  corn,  or  "roasting  ears,"  hulled 
corn  and  hominy,  New  England  hasty  pud- 
ding, and  succotash  are  favorite  dishes  with 
many  persons.  Then  there 
are  parched  corn  and  pop 
corn — the  delight  of  long 
winter  evenings. 

12.  Cornstarch  is  an  im- 
portant article  of  commerce. 
Sirup  and  sugar  are  made 
:.  from  the  juice  of  the  stalk, 
and  oil  and  alcohol  from  the 
ripened  grain.  Corn  husks 
are    largely   used 


THIRD   READER.  197 

tresses,    and    are    braided    into    mats,  baskets, 
and  other  useful  articles. 

13.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  how  varied  are  the 
uses  of  Indian  corn.  And  besides  being  so 
useful,  the  plant  is  very  beautiful.  The  sight 
of  a  large  cornfield  in  the  latter  part  of  sum- 
mer, with  all  its  green  banners  waving  and 
its  tasseled  plumes  nodding,  is  one  to  admire, 
and  not  to  be  forgotten. 

Definitions. — 1.  Ar'ti  ele,  a  particular  one  of  various  things. 
2.  Cul'ti  vat  ed,  grown.  3.  Im  por'tant,  of  much  value.  5. 
Fur'row,  a  trench  made  by  a  •plow.  6.  Fa'vor  a  ble,  that  which 
is  kindly,  propitious.  Stream'er,  a  long,  narrow  flag.  7-  Mois'- 
ture,  wet,  dampness.  Re  suits',  comes  out,  ends.  8.  Sep'a  rat  ed, 
apart,  not  connected.  9.  Par'ti  ele,  a  very  small  portion.  10. 
Ex'cel  lent,  good,  superior.  Fud'der,  stich  food  for  animals  as 
hay,  straw,  and  vegetables.  Poul'try,  barnyard  foivls.  Siie'eo- 
tash,  corn  and  beans  boiled  together.  12.  Com'merce,  trade. 
Al'eo  hoi,  distilled  liquor.  Mat'tress  eg,  beds  stuffed  with  hair, 
straw,  or  other  soft  material.     Braid'ed,  woven  or  twisted  together. 

LESSON    LXXIV. 

THE    SNOWBIRD'S   SONG. 

1.  The  ground  was  all  covered  with  snow  one  day, 
And  two  little  sisters  were  busy  at  play, 
When  a  snowbird    was  sitting  close  by  on  a  tree, 
And  merrily  singing  his  chick-a-de-dee. 


198 


ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


He  had  not  been  singing  that  tune  very  long 
Ere  Emily  heard  him,  so  loud  was  his  song: 
"O  sister,  look  out  of  the  window!"  said  she; 
"Here's  a  dear  little  bird  singing  chick-a-de-dee. 


3.  "Poor  fellow!  he  walks  in  the  snow  and  the  sleet, 
And  has  neither  stockings  nor  shoes  on  his  feet : 

I  wonder  what  makes  him  so  full  of  his  glee; 
He's  all  the  time  singing  his  chick-a-de-dee. 

4.  "If  I  were  a  barefooted  snowbird,  I  know, 

I  would  not  stay  out  in  the  cold  and  the  snow ; 
I  pity  him  so!    oh,  how  cold  he  must  be! 
And  yet  he  keeps  singing  his  chick-a-de-dee. 


THIRD    READER.  199 

5.  "O  mother;  do  get  him  some  stockings,  and  shoes, 
And  a  nice  little  frock,  and  a  hat  if  he  choose; 

I  wish  he  'd  come  into  the  parlor,  and  see 
How  warm  we  would  make   him,  poor  chick-a-de- 
dee!" 

6.  The  bird  had  flown  down  for  some  sweet  crumbs  of 

bread, 
And  heard  every  word  little  Emily  said : 
"  What  a  figure  I  'd  make  in  that  dress,"  thought  he, 
And  laughed  as  he  warbled  his  chick-a-de-dee. 

7.  "  I  am  grateful/'  said  he,  "  for  the  wish  you  express, 
But  have  no  occasion  for  such  a  fine  dress ; 

I  rather  remain. with  my  little  limbs  free, 
Than  to  hobble  about,  singing  chick-a-de-dee. 

8.  "  There  is   One,  my  dear  child,   though   I  can  not 

tell  who, 
Has  clothed  me  already,  and  warm  enough,  too. 
Good  morning!  Oh,  who  are  so  happy  as  we?" 
And  away  he  flew,  singing  his  chick-a-de-dee. 

F.  C.  Woodworth. 

Definitions. — 1.  Chick'-a-de-dee,  an  imitation  of  the  notes 
of  the  snowbird.  6.  Fig'ure,  shape,  appearance.  7.  Ex  press', 
make  known,  declare-.     Hob'ble,  to  walk  with  a  hitch  or  hop. 


ay: 


200  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 


LESSON    LXXV. 


MOUNTAINS. 


1.  The  Himalayas  are  the  highest  moun- 
tains on  our  globe.  They  are  in  Asia,  and 
separate  India  from  Thibet.  They  extend  in 
a  continuous  line  for  more  than  a  thousand 
miles. 

2.  If  you  ever  ascend  one  of  these  moun- 
tains from  the  plain  below,  you  will  have  to 
cross  an  unhealthy  border,  twenty  miles  in 
width.  It  is,  in  fact,  a  swamp  caused  by  the 
waters  overflowing  the  river  banks. 

3.  The  soil  of  this  swampy  border  is  cov- 
ered with  trees  and  shrubs,  where  the  tiger, 
the  elephant,  and  other  animals  find  secure 
retreat.  Beyond  this  border,  you  will  reach 
smiling  valleys  and   noble   forests. 

4.  As  you  advance  onward  and  upward, 
you  will  get  among  bolder  and  more  rugged 
scenes.  The  sides  of  the  mountains  are  very 
steep,  sometimes  well  wooded  to  quite  a  height, 
but  sometimes  quite  barren. 

5.  In  crossing  a  river  you  must  be  content 
with  three  ropes  for  a  bridge.  You  will  find 
the   streets    of  the   towns  to  be  simply  stairs 


THIRD   READER. 


201 


cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  see  the  nouses  rising 
in  tiers. 

6.  The    pathways  into  Thibet,   among  these 
mountains,   are    mere   tracks    by   the    side    of 


foaming  torrents.  Often,  as  you  advance,  you 
will  find  every  trace  of  the  path  swept  away 
by  the  falling  of  rocks  and  earth  from  above. 


202  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

7.  Sometimes  you  will  find  posts  driven 
into  the  mountain  side,  upon  which  t  branches 
of  trees  and  earth  are  spread.  This  forms  a 
trembling   foothold   for  the  traveler. 

8.  In  the  iVndes,  in  South  America,  the 
sure-footed  mule  is  used  to  carry  travelers. 
Quite  often  a  chasm  must .  be  crossed  that  is 
many  feet  wide  and  hundreds  of  feet  deep. 
The  mule  will  leap  across  this  chasm,  but  not 
until  it  is  sure  it  can  make  a  safe  jump. 

9.  "One  day,"  says  a  traveler,  "I  went  by 
the  worst  pass  over  the  Andes  Mountains. 
The  path  for  seventy  yards  was  very  narrow, 
and  at  one  point  it  was  washed  entirely 
away.  On  one  side  the  rock  brushed  my 
shoulder,  and  on  the  other  side  my  foot  over- 
hung the  precipice." 

10.  The  guide  told  this  man,  after  he  was 
safely  over  the  pass,  that,  to  his  knowledge, 
four  hundred  mules  had  fallen  over  that 
precipice,  and  in  many  instances  travelers 
had  lost   their  lives   at  that  terrible  spot. 

Definitions.  —  1.  Him  a'la  ya,  also  written  Him  mii'leh. 
Thib'et  (Tib-),  a  country  of  central  Asia.  2.  As  c£nd',  go  up, 
climb.  Swamp,  low,  wet  gro%tnd.  3.  „  Re  treat',  place  of  safety. 
4.  A.d  vance',  go  forward.  Rtig'ged,  rough.  Bar'ren,  without 
trees  or  shrubs,  unproductive.     5.   Tierg,  rows  one  above  another. 


THIRD    READER.  203 

7.  Fdot'hold,  that  on  which  one  may  tread.  8.  An'deg, 
next  to  the  highest  range  of  mountains  in  the  world.  Chagm 
(kazm),  a  deep  opening  in  the  earth,  or  cleft  in  the  rocks. 
9.  Pr£c'i  piye,  a  very  steep  and  dangerous  descent.  10  Knowl- 
edge (nol'ej),  that  ivhich  is  known. 


LESSON    LXXVI. 

A    child's    HYMN. 

1.  God  make  my  life  a  little  light, 

Within  the  world  to  glow ; 
A  little  flame  that  burnetii  bright 
Wherever  I  may  go. 

2.  God  make  my  life  a  little  flower, 

That  giveth  joy  to  all, 
Content  to  bloom  in  native  bower, 
Although  its  place  be  small. 

3.  God  make  my  life  a  little  song, 

That  comforteth  the  sad ; 
That  helpeth  others  to  be  strong, 
And  makes  the  singer  glad. 

4.  God  make  my  life  a  little  hymn 

Of  tenderness  and  praise ; 
Of  faith — that  never  waxeth  dim 
In  all  His  wondrous  ways. 


204  ECLECTIC   SERIES. 

LESSON    LXXVII. 

HOLDING     THE     FORT. 

1.  While  Genie  was  walking  slowly  down 
street  one  day,  she  heard  an  odd  rapping  on 
the  pavement  behind  her.  Looking  round, 
she  saw  Rob  Grey  hobbling  on  crutches. 

2.  "Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  cried  Genie. 
"I  haven't  seen  you  for  a  week,  and  now 
you   are  walking  in  that  way." 

3.  "I  shall  have  to  walk  in  this  way  as 
much  as  a  week  longer,  Genie.  I  sprained 
my  ankle  by  stopping  too  quick — no,  not  too 
quick,  either,  for  there  was  something  in  my 
way." 

"What  was  it?"  asked  Genie. 

4.  "One  of  the  Commandments,"  replied 
Rob.  "  You  remember  how  that  lecturer 
talked  to  us  about  'holding  the  fort'?  Well, 
I  thought  I  should  like  to  do  it;  but  it's  a 
pretty  long  war,  you  know — all  a  lifetime, 
and  no  vacations — furloughs,  I  think  they  call 
them." 

5.  "If  there  was  nothing  to  fight,  we  should 
not  need  to  be  soldiers,"  said  Genie. 

6.  "Well,    I   thought   I   would  try;   but  the 


THIRD  READER. 


205 


first  day,  when  we  came  out  of  the  school- 
house.  Jack  Lee  snatched  my  books  out  of 
my  hand,  and  threw  them  into  the  mud. 

7.   "I   started  after  him   as  fast  as   I   could 
run.      I   meant   to   throw   him   where   he   had 


thrown  the  books,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  I 
thought  of  the  Commandment  about  return- 
ing good  for  evil. 

8.   "I   stopped   short — so   short,  that,  some- 


206  ECLECTIC  SERIES. 

how,  my  foot  twisted  under  me.     So,  you  see, 
it  .was  one  of  the  Commandments." 

9.  "If  one  must  stumble  at  them,  it  is  a 
good  thing  to  fall  on  the  right  side,"  said 
Genie,  with  a  wise  nod  of  her  head. 

10.  "The  whole  thing  puzzles  me,  and 
makes  me  feel — well,  like  giving  it  up,"  said 
Rob.  "  It  might  have  served  me  right  when 
I  was  chasing  Jack ;  but  when  I  thought  of 
the  Commandment,  I  really  tried  to  do  the 
right  thing." 

11.  "You  did  do  it,  Rob,"  said  Genie.  "You 
'held  the  fort'  that  time.  Why,  don't  you 
see — you  are  only  a  wounded  soldier." 

12.  "I  never  thought  of  that,"  said  Rob. 
"If  I  believe  that  way — "  He  began  to 
whistle,  and  limped  off  to  school  without  fin- 
ishing the  sentence.  But  Genie  knew,  by  the 
way  he  behaved  that  day,  that  he  had  made 
up  his  mind  to  hold  the  fort. 

Definitions. — 1.  Pave'ment,  a  ivalk  covered  with  brick  or 
other  hard  material.  Criitch'eg,  long  sticks  with  crosspieces  at 
the  top,  to  aid  lame  persons  in  walking.  3.  Sprained,  injured 
by  wrenching  or  twisting.  4.  Com  mand'ments,  holy  laws  re- 
corded in  the  Bible.  LSe'tur er,  a  public  speaker.  Va na- 
tion, the  time  between  two  school  terms.  Fur/lough  (fiir'lo),  a 
soldier's  leave  of  absence.  11.  Wounded  (woond'ed),  hurt, 
injured.     12.   Behaved',  acted. 


THIRD   READER.  207 

LESSON    LXXVIII. 

THE     LITTLE     PEOPLE. 

1.  A  dreary  place  would  be  this  earth, 

Were  there  no  little  people  in  it; 
The  song  of  life  would  lose  its  mirth, 
Were  there  no  children  to  begin  it; 

2.  No  little  forms,  like  buds  to  grow, 

And  make  the  admiring  heart  surrender; 
No  little  hands  on  breast  and  brow, 

To  keep  the  thrilling  love  chords  tender. 

3.'  The  sterner  souls  would  grow  more  stern, 
Unfeeling  nature  more  inhuman, 
And  man  to  utter  coldness  turn, 

And  woman  would  be  less  than  woman. 

4.  Life's  song,  indeed,  would  lose  its  charm, 
Were  there  no  babies  to  begin  it ; 
A  doleful  place  this  world  would  be, 
Were  there  no  little  people  in  it. 

John  G.  Whittier. 

Definitions. — 1.  Drear'y,  cheerless.  2.  Sur  ren'der,  give 
up,  yield.  Love  ehordg,  ties  of  affection.  3.  Stern,  severe, 
harsh.     Ut'ter,  complete.     4.  Dole'ful,  gloomy,  sad. 


208  THIRD  READER. 

LESSON    LXXIX. 

GOOD  NIGHT. 

1.  The  sun  is  hidden  from  our  sight, 

The  birds  are  sleeping  sound ; 
'Tis  time  to  say  to  all,  "Goodnight!" 
And  give  a  kiss  all  round. 

2.  Good  night,  my  father,  mother,  dear! 

Now  kiss  your  little  son; 
Good  night,  my  friends,  both  far  and  near ! 
Good  night  to  every  one. 

3.  Good  night,  ye  merry,  merry  birds ! 

Sleep  well  till  morning  light; 
Perhaps,  if  you  could  sing  in  words, 
You  would  have  said,  "Goodnight!5 

4.  To  all  my  pretty  flowers,  good  night ! 

You  blossom  while  I  sleep; 
And  all  the  stars,  that  shine  so  bright, 
With  you  their  watches  keep. 

5.  The  moon  is  lighting  up  the  skies 

The  stars  are  sparkling  there; 

'Tis  time  to  shut  our  weary  eyes, 

And  say  our  evening  prayer. 

Mrs.  Follen. 


